The government has set Jan 15 as the deadline for final registration for Hajj 2025 pilgrims.
The pilgrims will be allowed to pay the remaining amounts of their chosen packages by the date fixed by the government.
Those who will travel through the government channel must deposit their amounts at Sonali Bank while those who use private agencies must pay via their respective agencies' designated bank account, a media statement from the religious affairs ministry said on Thursday.
Pilgrims must deposit Tk 300,000 to complete preliminary registration, with the remaining package cost payable during final registration.
The pilgrims under government and private arrangements are supposed to hire tents, houses and hotels in Mina by Feb 14, 2025, following the Saudi Arabian government's roadmap, a notification issued by the Hajj-1 section of the ministry informed the primary registrants on Wednesday.
The ministry initially announced on Aug 25 that registration would begin on Sept 1 and conclude by Nov 30. However, the deadline was shortened to Oct 23 and later reverted to Nov 30.
On Nov 28, the deadline was extended to Dec 15, and now it has been pushed to Dec 26.
The Hajj for 2025 is scheduled to take place on Jun 5, subject to the sighting of the moon.
Bangladesh's quota for the pilgrimage allows 127,198 people to participate.
As of 10pm Tuesday, 4,759 people had registered under the government-managed scheme, while 69,649 had registered through private arrangements. This leaves nearly half of the quota still unfilled, according to the ministry's Hajj portal.
On Oct 30, the ministry introduced two packages for government-managed Hajj pilgrims.
The "general" Package-1 is priced at Tk 478,242, while the cost of Package-2 starts at Tk 575,680.
Meal expenses are not included in these packages. Pilgrims will need to carry an additional Tk 40,000 for food and 750 Saudi Riyals for the sacrificial offering.
While Package-1 offers lower costs, accommodations under this package are situated farther from Makkah and Madinah. —bdnews24.com
