More than 50,000 Bangladeshi pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, while 12 deaths have been reported so far during the ongoing pilgrimage season, according to the latest update from Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Data released through the Hajj Management Portal’s IT helpdesk bulletin on May 8 said a total of 50,096 pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia since Hajj operations began on April 18.
Among them, 4,071 travelled under government arrangements, while 46,025 went through private agencies.
This year’s Hajj is expected to take place on May 26, depending on the sighting of the moon.
So far, 128 flights have carried Bangladeshi pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. Of those, Biman Bangladesh Airlines operated 59 flights, Saudia operated 47 flights and Flynas operated 22 flights.
In terms of passenger transport, Biman carried 23,591 pilgrims, Saudi Airlines transported 17,646 pilgrims, while Flynas carried 8,859 pilgrims.
Medical and support services for pilgrims have also continued in Saudi Arabia. Authorities said 18,987 automated medical prescriptions have been issued so far, while IT help desks provided 13,011 support services to pilgrims.
Among the 12 deceased pilgrims, 10 were men and two were women. Ten deaths were reported in Makkah and two in Madinah. The latest victim was identified as 53-year-old Md Abdul Matin from Jashore.
Officials said the final outbound Hajj flight from Bangladesh is scheduled for May 21. Return flights are expected to begin on May 30 after the completion of Hajj rituals, with the last return flight set for June 30.
SH
