A total of 61,697 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims have returned home from Saudi Arabia as of Friday, following the completion of this year's Hajj held on May 26.
"A total of 156 return flights were operated by three designated carriers—78 by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 56 by Saudia Airlines, and 22 by Flynas Airlines," an official said.
The Hajj office said, so far, 4,319 Hajis have returned under government management while 57,378 under private travel agencies' arrangements in 156 flights.
According to airline-wise data, 27,363 pilgrims arrived on 78 flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 21,652 on 56 flights of Saudi Airlines, 8,672 on 22 flights of Flynas Airlines, and 4,010 pilgrims with other carriers.
The remaining Hajis are expected to arrive gradually through designated airlines, the official added.
Besides, 54 Bangladeshi pilgrims have passed away in Saudi Arabia during Hajj, with 36 males and 18 females. Of them, 37 died in Makkah, 16 in Madinah, and one in Jeddah.
No deaths have been reported in Mina, or Muzdalifah.
According to the Hajj bulletin, a total of 415 Hajis received treatment from various hospitals in Saudi Arabia due to diseases, while 11 Hajis were hospitalized. Saudi Arabian medical centers provided treatment to 66,249, while the IT help desk gave services to 28,198 Hajis in Makkah and Madinah.
This year's Hajj operations began with the first outbound flight on April 18 and concluded on May 21.
The return Hajj flights started on May 30 and will continue until July 1.
Of the total pilgrims, the quota was 78,500, including 4,565 under government management, while 73,935 will go under private arrangements, according to Hajj office information.
