Saudi Arabian deputy minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman Mashat on Thursday assured that his government would consider approving 10 more slot of dedicated Hajj flight to Biman Bangladesh Airlines as per Dhaka's request.
The assurance was made while Ambassador of Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia Mohammad Javed Patwary called on the Saudi deputy minister at Mecca on Wednesday, according to a message received on Thursday.
During the meeting, the Saudi deputy minister lauded the devotion and discipline of Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims and said his government has taken different plan to make the Hajj management further improved.
Dhaka had requested Saudi Arabia civil aviation authority to allow Biman to operate 10 more Hajj flights as Bangladeshi flag carrier was forced to cancel several Hajj flights as some Hajj agencies were unable to arrange accommodation and secure visas for the Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims before their scheduled departure.
While contacted, Biman Managing Director and CEO Shafiul Azim told BSS that they are optimistic to get permission from Saudi Arabia civil aviation authority to operate 10 more Hajj flights.
"We have some backup plan as well so that we can carry all Hajj pilgrims on time," he said.
Biman chief alleged that there was a lack of sincerity among some Hajj agencies, which resulted in financial loss for Biman. Additionally, the airline faced pressure to transport all Hajj pilgrims on time.
"We have already informed the matter to the the Ministry of Religious Affairs to take action against the responsible agencies as per the law," he said.
In the last two weeks, Biman Bangladesh Airlines has left more than 6,000 pilgrims behind and cancelled six Hajj flights.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs already sent show-cause notices to 90 Hajj agencies on Sunday blaming them for the situation.
This year, a total of 122,221 pilgrims from Bangladesh will perform Hajj. Of these, nearly 62,000 will travel via Biman Bangladesh Airlines, while the remainder will fly with either Saudia Airline or Flynas.
