by Mamun Abdullah in Dhaka Tribune, June 8, 2023
Thousands of Hajj pilgrims have been suffering due to blunders in coordination between the authorities and Hajj agencies.
Pilgrims complained that the Hajj mismanagement was particularly infuriating, considering the massive increases in expenses for the pilgrimage this year. Bangladesh took far longer to fill its Hajj quota this year as many found the new charges related to the pilgrimage to be prohibitively expensive.
On the first day of this year’s Hajj flights, 140 pilgrims could not depart as scheduled due to visa complications. The number of pilgrims who could not depart on time has now crossed 6,000, the main reasons for the delays being issues with visas, accommodations or ticketing schedules.
Hajj Office Director Saiful Islam told Dhaka Tribune: “Complications have arisen due to non-coordination of house rent and air ticket schedules.”
Biman officials blamed both government and private Hajj operators and agencies for the mismanagement and lack of coordination. However, the national carrier did not escape the ire of pilgrims, who said they had chosen Biman expecting better services than from alternatives choices.
Several pilgrims also accused private and government Hajj agencies of being irresponsible and unhelpful in resolving the issues.
Industry insiders said it is the duty of Hajj agencies and airlines to ensure that pilgrims can go for Hajj in a smooth and hassle-free manner.
Biman and the Hajj Office held a meeting late on Sunday to solve the coordination issues that were affecting pilgrims.
Furthermore, a letter has been sent to Biman asking it to take effective steps to send 139 hajj pilgrims on flight BG 3059 and 419 pilgrims on flight BG -331 for Hajj under government management.
According to the Religious Affairs Ministry, over 40,000 registered pilgrims are yet to receive their visas.
The Hajj Office director claimed around 54,000 pilgrims have already reached Medina to perform Hajj.
This year, over 122,000 aspirants have registered for Hajj. Around 62,000 are to be transported by Biman, and the rest by the Saudi Arabian airlines Saudia and Flynas.
Biman puts blame on Hajj agencies
The Biman authorities say they have been forced to cancel six dedicated flights as 6,000 pilgrims who were supposed to travel on them are yet to receive visas.
The delays are creating a severe backlog of passengers and managing new flights is proving difficult, sources at the airline said.
Biman Managing Director and CEO Shafiul Azim put blame on the Hajj agencies.
“The agencies are mainly responsible for failing to complete visa and house rent formalities,” he said.
Hajj Office Director Saiful Islam said the agencies could not manage visas as they failed to show house rental permit papers to the Saudi Arabian authorities.
He expressed the hope that the issue would be resolved within three days, and said the Religious Affairs Ministry has already requested that Biman arrange at least five more flights to transport the pilgrims.
M Shahadat Hossain Taslim, president of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), said the association is trying to resolve the visa and accommodation issues being faced by some pilgrims as soon as possible.
Biman’s last Hajj flight is scheduled for June 22. https://www.dhakatribune.com/morning-brief/2023/06/08/morning-brief-304
