Amid the countrywide protest of the Bangladeshi Hajj agency owners, the governments of Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia on Sunday signed a bilateral agreement keeping the lowest pilgrims quota for each Hajj agency at 1,000.
Bangladesh Religious Affairs Adviser AKM Khalid Hossain and Saudi Hajj and Umrah Minister Dr Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-rabiah signed the agreement at a meeting in Jeddah, according to a press release of the Religious Affairs Ministry issued in Dhaka.
In the meeting, Religious Affairs Adviser AKM Khalid Hossain and the Saudi Hajj and Umrah Minister discussed about various issues including the steps taken to improve the Hajj management in Bangladesh.
During the meeting, Adviser Khalid Hossain requested the Saudi Minister to reconsider its decision of allocating a quota of 1,000 per Hajj agency and reduce the quota for smooth Hajj management.
However, the Saudi Minister reiterated its stance about keeping the quota at 1,000 for this year's Hajj management, and informed that the quota would be 2,000 per agency from next year.
The number was reduced to 1,000 per agency for this year due to the request of the adviser, he added.
Among others, Religious Affairs Secretary AKM Aftab Hossain Pramanik, ministry's Additional Secretary (Hajj) Motiul islam, Bangladesh's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Delwar Hossain, Consul General Miah Mohammad Mainul Kabir, and Counselor (Hajj) Md. Jahirul Islam were also present.
Recently at a press conference, the Hajj agency owners have given ultimatum to the government for reconsidering the quota of 1,000 fixed for each agency, and fix it within 100 to 300 pilgrims.
They have also threatened the government of abstaining from the Hajj pilgrims sending procedures.
