The dream of hundreds of pilgrims to perform Hajj may remain unfulfilled this year for alleged corruption and irregularities by some Hajj agencies.
Although the agencies were fined and punished for the same offence in the previous years, they in association with some dishonest officers of the Religious Ministry are doing the ill practice this time too.
Several thousand pilgrims, who have already obtained Saudi visa, were found waiting in tears for tickets at Ashkona Hajj Camp on Sunday.
They brought allegations against the Hajj agencies concerned that failed to hand them air tickets.
Eco Travel and Truism, one of the agencies, didn't give air tickets to 197 Hajj pilgrims even after taking about Tk 10 crore from them.
Retired government official Wahidul Huq, who came to the camp on August 23 to go to the holy Makka to perform Hajj, said on Sunday, "I am yet to get air ticket. Owner of the agency Ruhul Amin, through his associates, is assuring us (pilgrims) every two to three hours of confirming tickets soon. But nothing has yielded."
Rabeya Begum has alleged that she first paid Tk 2.70 lakh to the agency and later Tk 63,000, but no air ticket was given.
Monirul Islam, owner of the Golden and Cargo Service took Tk 2.80 lakh from each of eight pilgrims.
"We were taken to Dhaka on August 22 but the agency concerned didn't give air tickets as of today. Now, Monirul is demanding additional Tk 1.50 lakh from each of pilgrims," said the sexagenarian Nur Ali.
Despite repeated attempts, the agency owners could not be contacted for his comment.
A bulletin of the Hajj Camp says a total of 1,22,461 pilgrims were sent to Saudi Arabia till 5:00pm on Sunday while some 3,786 were waiting for going there.
Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) at a press briefing at the Hajj Camp on Sunday said they would send all the visa secured pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
Sahadat Hossain Taslim, Secretary General of HAAB, at the briefing, warned of stern action against the agencies, which would fail to send their pilgrims.
On Saturday, about 500 pilgrims stage a demonstration, demanding punishment to at least 18 hajj agencies that did not come to them.
Dhaka Hajj Director Saiful Islam on Sunday issued an order, saying that the licences of the agencies would be cancelled and their mortgage will be confiscated if they finally failed to send the pilgrims. General diaries were lodged with Airport Police Station against seven hajj agencies.
A number of Hajj agencies were summoned to the Hajj camp. Al Balad Overseas, Glob Tour and Travel, Sanjid Travel, Madina Air International, Eco Aviation, Sayed Air International, Nibir Hajj and Omra Agency, MCO Hajj Travel, Gulf Travel Service, Unirof Overseas, Misfalah Travel and Overseas are among the, agencies.
Saiful said the Gulf Travel was earlier punished in 2015 and 2016 for corruption and irregularities. The agency also committed the same crime this year, he added.
According to the officer, the agency has 213 hajj pilgrims this year but they could not send even a single pilgrim until August 10. However, Shah Alam, Managing Director of the hajj agency, denied the allegation.
Another agency, Gawsia Travel and Tours, committed the same offence with its over 200 pilgrims. Mohiuddin, owner of the agency, also denied the allegation.
The agencies were black listed several times for their corrupt practice but managed everything paying kickback to some dishonest officers of the Religious Ministry.
Owners of some Hajj agencies are introducing themselves as relatives of the Religious Minister to accomplish their misdeed.
According to the Religious Ministry, at least 26 hajj agencies, which were punished for irregularities in the last two years, committed the same offence this time.
Some 155 agencies were fined for mismanagement and irregularity in 2015 and 2016. The licences of 68 agencies were cancelled or suspended or fined in 2015.
Keraniganj Hajj Travels and Tours, Ababil Overseas Ltd, Akbar Tours, Al Abrar Aviation, Darul Iman International Travel and Tours, Sumaiya Air International and Sundarban Air Express, Shah Hajj Kafela Travels and Tour, Topcon Overseas Ltd, Media Travel Service Ltd, Abdur Rahman Travels and Tours, Air Royel Aviation and Central Travel and Tours were among the agencies.
These agencies are also found in the list of committing mismanagement and irregularity. The Religious Ministry punished against 87 agencies.
Gulf Travels, Salamat Hajj Travels and Tours, Mojaddedia Hajj Travels and Tours, Abrar Tours and Travels, Gaus Pak Tours and Travels, Al Aksha Travels, Gawsia Travels and Tours, SM Travels International, SM Travels International, Solaiman Travels and Tours, SN Travels and Tours, Norani Tours and Travels, Jinnorain Travels and Moinamoti Aviation were fined. Most of were blacklisted.
When asked, Sharafat Jaman, Deputy Secretary (Hajj), said he was going to perform Hajj. "I will investigate the matter after Hajj," he said.
Nibir Hajj, Omrah and Tourism agency, which was blacklisted earlier, embezzled the money taken from 44 pilgrims this year. Later, passports of the pilgrims were returned after it was summoned to Hajj Office and its bank account was seized.
BH Harun, President of Standing Committee for the Religious Ministry, said that the investigation would be initiated after Hajj.
