A total of 74,247 Bangladeshi pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia by 192 Hajj flights as of 10am on Thursday since April 29, with the last Hajj flight set to depart from Dhaka on Saturday, official sources said.
“A total of 87,100 Bangladeshis are set to perform the holy Hajj this year, of whom 5,200 will perform the ritual under Bangladesh government arrangements, while private operators will handle 81,900 pilgrims,” said M Lokman Hossain, director of the Hajj office under the Religious Affairs Ministry.
He said three Biman Bangladesh Airlines flights with 1,257 Hajj pilgrims, one Saudia airline flight with 404 pilgrims and four Flynas flights with 1,540 pilgrims left or were scheduled to leave Bangladesh on Thursday for Jeddah.
The last flight with pilgrims is scheduled to reach Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Lokman said the ministry is issuing regular Hajj bulletins, with the latest one announcing the deaths of 12 pilgrims after reaching Saudi Arabia due to old age or various health-related complications in recent days.
Until Thursday, Biman Bangladesh Airlines had operated 98 flights carrying 37,746 pilgrims, Saudia conducted 71 flights with 27,128 pilgrims and the Riyadh-based Flynas transported 8,373 pilgrims on 23 flights.
The Hajj office bulletin stated that, according to the aviation plan, Biman will operate 118 Hajj flights, Saudia 80 flights and Flynas 34 flights for the pilgrims.
According to officials, the remaining 12,752 pilgrims will reach Saudi Arabia by Saturday.
The first Hajj flight with 398 pilgrims departed from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on April 29.
The Hajj this year is expected to take place on June 5, although the date may vary depending on the sighting of the moon according to the Arabic lunar calendar.
Return flights with the pilgrims are scheduled to commence on June 10 and conclude on July 10, officials added.
