Hajj flight begins

Staff Correspondent: The Hajj flights carrying Bangladeshi pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj began on Saturday morning.

The inaugural Hajj flight BG-1011 with 419 pilgrims departed from Dhaka at 07:55am.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister AKM Shahjahan Kamal and Religious Affairs Minister Principal Matiur Rahman inaugurated the Hajj flight at the airport.

“We have made all-out preparations to ensure sound Hajj flights this year as well as taken necessary measures to check any sort of harassment to the pilgrims,” Kamal told journalists at a short briefing at the airport.

 

This year, a total of 1, 26,798 persons are going to Saudi Arabia for performing Hajj.

Of them, 6,798 will perform Hajj under government management while 1,20,000 under private management.

The pilgrims will go to Saudi Arabia through 528 Hajj agencies.

Beginning from Saturday, the Hajj flight will continue till August 15 and the return Hajj flight is scheduled to begin on August 27 and will continue till September 25. Bangladesh Biman will carry 64,967 pilgrims through 187 flights while the rest 61,831 pilgrims will go to Saudi Arabia through 188 flights of Saudi Airlines this year. 


risingbd/Dhaka/July 14, 2018/Yeamin/Mukul