DHAKA, Aug 14, 2018 (BSS) – The hajj flights run by Biman Bangladesh Airlines will end tomorrow while a total of 342 flights carrying 1,18,860 Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims reached Saudi Arabia till 10 am today.
The remaining 7,323 pilgrims are scheduled to reach Mecca and Medina by August 17, said an official of the Hajj office here.
Although the hajj flights run by Biman Bangladesh Airlines will end tomorrow, the Saudi Airlines will operate hajj flights till August 17, Assistant Hajj Officer of Dhaka Hajj Office Abdul Maleque told BSS.
“The holy hajj will be held on August 20, 2018. But, 727 pilgrims will not be able to go to Saudi Arabia for visa problems while 15 pilgrims under government arrangement cannot go for different reasons,” he said.
Maleque said about 4,000 hajj pilgrims boarding 10 flights are departed here for Saudi Arabia everyday and the hajj pilgrims are welcomed there by Councilor (Hajj) Muhammad Maksudur Rahman and other Hajj officials of Mecca.
The official said a total of 6755 pilgrims will perform hajj under the government arrangements while 1,04,470 under private arrangements.
Of the 342 flights, he said, 167 are run by Biman Bangladesh Airlines while 175 others by Saudi Airlines.
Maleque said the hajj flight operation began on July 14. Besides, the return flight of the hajj pilgrims will begin on August 27 and it will end on September 25, he added.
Hajj office sources said 36 hajj pilgrims, including 6 women, died in Saudia Arabia till Tuesday (August 14). Of them, 29 died in Mecca, five in Medina and two in Jeddah.
Of the devotees, 37,785 were given medical treatment from healthcare centres in Saudi Arabia while medical profiles of 76,212 pilgrims were registered.