Direct Hajj flights from Sylhet have officially commenced, with the inaugural flight departing Osmani International Airport for Medina. The first flight, carrying 419 pilgrims, took off at 1:25am on Monday.
According to the sources, a total of seven direct Hajj flights will be operated from Sylhet this year. Muhammad Abdul Kadir, secretary of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) Sylhet region, described the resumption of direct flights as a matter of great joy and pride.
While the first flight was destined for Medina, the remaining six flights are scheduled to fly the Sylhet-Jeddah route on 14 to 18 May.
This year, a total of 3,394 pilgrims are participating in the Hajj from the Sylhet region. Of this number, 2,933 pilgrims will travel directly from Sylhet via the seven scheduled flights, while the remaining 461 will travel through Dhaka.
It was noted that although immigration for those under the “Road to Mecca” programme is completed in Dhaka, pilgrims departing directly from Sylhet will have their immigration procedures conducted in Saudi Arabia.
On a national level, a total of 78,500 pilgrims from Bangladesh will perform the Hajj this year under both government and private management.
According to Saudi government regulations, there is a minimum quota of 2,000 pilgrims per agency.
In the Sylhet region, although 30 Hajj agencies are involved in operations, 23 agencies participated in the registration process this year.
These organisations are responsible for pilgrim registration, visa processing, and ensuring accommodation in Saudi Arabia.
This year’s operations are being managed as a coordinated effort under the “Sylhet Alliance Hajj 2026” platform, using the licence of the lead agency, Bangladesh Overseas Services.
