A total of 75,530 Bangladeshi pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this year, the Bangladesh Hajj Office said.
Director Md Lokman Hossain reported that by 10 am on Tuesday, 194 Hajj flights carrying Bangladeshi pilgrims had landed at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
According to the latest Hajj bulletin, 18 Bangladeshi pilgrims have died of natural causes so far—13 men and five women. Of the deceased, 13 passed away in Makkah and five in Madinah.
The bulletin also stated that Saudi medical teams have provided treatment to 40,860 pilgrims automatically, while the IT Helpdesk rendered medical services to 19,567 pilgrims.
This year, 78,500 Bangladeshis are scheduled to perform Hajj, including 4,565 under government management and 73,935 through private arrangements. A total of 660 agencies are involved in private Hajj management, including 30 lead agencies and 630 coordinating agencies.
According to airline data, 38,401 pilgrims travelled on 97 flights operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 26,981 pilgrims on 71 Saudi Airlines flights, and 10,148 pilgrims on 26 Flynas flights. The remaining 2,858 pilgrims are expected to arrive gradually through designated airlines, Lokman Hossain added.
The first Hajj flight, BG3001, carrying 418 pilgrims, departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Jeddah on April 17 at 11:57 pm. The flight was inaugurated by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Hajj office data also shows that the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka has issued 78,388 visas so far, including 4,465 for government-managed pilgrims and 73,923 for private pilgrims.
Subject to moon sighting, this year’s Hajj is expected to begin in Saudi Arabia on May 26. Pilgrims are scheduled to start returning from May 30, with the final return flight set for June 3
