Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) has announced a private hajj package for 2019 and also urged pilgrims not to engage in any financial transactions with middlemen.
HAAB organized a press briefing at a city hotel on Saturday to declare the package.
“We have fixed Tk3,45,800 as a minimum package price for pilgrims intending to perform Hajj under private management this year and we urge them to deposit money to agency offices or bank accounts, not to handover any money to any other people,” HAAB Secretary General, M Shahadat Hossain Taslim, told newsmen.
The registration process for intending pilgrims will begin from February 19, he said.
“A pilgrim when registering has to deposit Tk142,646, that includes Tk128,000 for airfare, and Tk14,645 for services and transport costs, as set by the Saudi government.”
“Pilgrims need to carry an extra Tk11,812 for sacrificing animals after the Hajj. Payments will be received till March 20,” Taslim added.
Pilgrims who have already performed Hajj between 2015 and 2018 need to pay Tk47,250 extra as per Saudi Arabia regulations.
The HAAB leaders repeatedly urged intending Hajj pilgrims and their relatives to make payments directly to Hajj agency offices or agency bank accounts and keep the money receipts with them.
“If anyone makes payments to any middlemen and gets into trouble, Hajj agencies will not take any responsibility,” Taslim warned.
The provision of collecting police clearance for intending Hajj pilgrims has been cancelled this year to reduce harassment of Hajjis, HAAB leader said.
The government has arranged training program for hajjis in all 64 districts of the country. “Pilgrims can choose the training centers online as per their convenience,” he said.
“The Saudi government has increased the charge per pilgrim to 1817 Saudi Riyals all over the world, which was 1089 Saudi Riyals in 2018, and none of the countries can minimize the cost,” Taslim said.
The HAAB secretary general thanked the government for reducing airfare per pilgrim to Tk1,28,000 from Tk1,38,191 last year.
The cabinet approved the National Hajj and Umrah Policy 2019 and the Hajj Package 2019 this year, on Feb 11, fixing Tk4, 18,516 for the first package and Tk3,44,000 for the second package.
A total of 1, 27,198 pilgrims from Bangladesh will perform Hajj this year and 1, 20,000 will go under private management.
