Religious Affairs Adviser Dr. A.F.M. Khalid Hossain on Sunday announced that a total of Tk 8.29 crore will be refunded to 4,978 pilgrims performed Hajj this year under the government management system.
At a press briefing held at the conference room of the Religious Affairs Ministry at Secretariat focusing on Bangladesh's performance in Hajj management for the year 2025, he made the announcement.
Claiming that the government has no commercial motive in Hajj operations, Dr. Khalid Hossain stated that serving pilgrims is the government's only goal. This year, accommodation costs were lower than the estimated rates in the Hajj package, and in some cases, service charges were also reduced. As a result, a portion of the package cost remained unspent, which will now be refunded to pilgrims under government arrangements.
According to the adviser, pilgrims under the full general Hajj package-1 staying in houses 4 and 6 will receive Tk 5,315 each refund while Short package pilgrims in house 4 will receive Tk 23,027 each; Full package pilgrims in house 5 will receive Tk 13,570 each. He stated that no short-package pilgrims were accommodated in houses 5 or 6.
Full General Hajj Package-2 pilgrims in house 1 will receive Tk 19,192, while short package pilgrims will get Tk 51,692 each; full package pilgrims in house 2 will receive Tk 21,142, and short package pilgrims will get Tk 53,642; full package pilgrims in house 3 will receive Tk 24,262. No short-package pilgrims were accommodated there, he added.
He said the refunds will be transferred directly to each pilgrim's bank account.
Dr. Khalid Hossain described this year's Hajj management as a milestone in the country's history. All necessary steps-pilgrim registration, transfer of mandatory Hajj fees to Saudi Arabia via IBN, tent allocation in Mina and Arafat through the Nusuk platform, agreements for housing, services, and transportation, and visa processing-were completed timely, in line with Saudi guidelines. Additionally, flight rescheduling and redistribution of pilgrims were managed efficiently.
He highlighted that the Ministry of Religious Affairs acted proactively to prevent any crisis. Ministry officials and staff worked tirelessly in a spirit of teamwork, ensuring that no pilgrim was left behind and no Hajj flights were disrupted. The process was smooth, with no commotion or complaints, and 100% of registered pilgrims successfully performed Hajj.
Warning the public against fraudsters, he clarified that any funds, including Hajj refunds or religious donations from the Ministry, are only sent to recipients' bank accounts. The Ministry never asks for debit/credit card numbers, or bKash, Nagad, or Rocket PINs. Anyone doing so is a fraud.
The adviser noted a decrease in the number of lost pilgrims this year. Of 892 pilgrims reported missing, 891 were found. A total of 45 pilgrims died, and all had a prior history of various serious illnesses.
Calling the Hajj management a success of team effort, he expressed gratitude to all stakeholders, including the Chief Adviser, the ministries of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Health and Family Welfare, and Home Affairs, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, Saudia and Flynas Airlines, and the leaders of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB).
