Photo : Messenger
The upcoming national parliamentary election has had a notable impact on Hajj registration for the upcoming season. Despite two previous extensions, the number of registrations stands at only 33,136, accounting for a mere 26.05 percent of the quota set by the government. This leaves a considerable 94,062 vacant seats for individuals interested in participating in the Hajj pilgrimage in 2024.
Consequently, the government has announced a further extension of the application period, which will now remain open until January 18, constituting the third phase of applications.
With a mere 12 days remaining within this final phase, those aspiring to embark on the Hajj pilgrimage would have to submit their applications within this designated timeframe.
When asked, Dr. Bashirul Alam, Director General (Additional Secretary) of the Islamic Foundation, told The Daily Messenger, “1,27,198 people from Bangladesh are expected to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia. But after two rounds of time extensions, not even one-fourth of the applications were submitted. Therefore, the application period for the third round has been extended. Hopefully, this time the quota will be filled quickly.”
Speaking under the condition of anonymity, an official from the Islami Foundation revealed that the ongoing national parliamentary elections have contributed to a decrease in the number of applications for Hajj registration.
However, the official anticipates a surge in applications post-elections.
Additionally the official stated that the increased costs associated with the Hajj pilgrimage due to escalating commodity prices have also deterred people from submitting applications, resulting in a lower submission rate compared to previous years.
The Ministry of Religion has specified that 127,198 individuals from Bangladesh will be permitted to partake in the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia in 2024. The application process was set to commence on September 16, 2023, with an initial deadline on December 10.
However, no applications were received within this stipulated timeframe. Subsequently, the deadline was extended twice until December 31, during which only 26,000 applications were received. As the quota remained unfulfilled, a third phase of extension has been announced, prolonging the application period until January 18.
As of January 5, only 33,136 applications for Hajj pilgrims have been submitted during the five-day extension in the third phase. Among these, 3,134 applicants are registered under government management, while 30,002 are registered under private management.
Sources from the Ministry of Religion indicate that interested pilgrims have until January 18 to complete their final registration by depositing Tk 2,05,000 or paying the full amount of the package.
Final registration requires confirmation by depositing the remaining balance of the package by February 29, subsequent to the initial registration.
Previously, a notification issued during the first phase by the Ministry of Religion stipulated that the final list of 2024 pilgrims should be forwarded to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia by January 7. Visa issuance is scheduled to commence on March 1, and the Saudi e-Hajj system will cease issuing visas on April 29, 2024. Hajj flights are slated to commence from May 9 onwards.
The government has unveiled two Hajj packages for the 2024 pilgrimage. The general package is priced at Tk 5,78,840, while a special Hajj package has been introduced this year, priced at Tk 9,36,320.
In addition, the minimum package cost for Hajj under private management has been established at Tk 5,89,800, whereas the special package is set at Tk 6,99,300. The scheduled date for the Holy Hajj is June 16, subject to the sighting of the moon.
It's noteworthy that during the previous year, a total of 1,27,198 Hajj pilgrims were scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia under government and private management. This allocation consisted of 15 individuals designated for Hajj under government management, while the remaining 1,12,198 were to be managed privately. However, due to a substantial surge in Hajj costs this year, the quota could not be filled even after extending the registration period nine times. Ultimately, 1,22,500 individuals undertook the Hajj pilgrimage, leading Bangladesh to return approximately 5,000 quotas to the Saudi government.
Messenger/Fameema
