A total of 46,528 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia on 118 flights as the annual pilgrimage gathers pace.
The update was confirmed by the Bangladesh Hajj Office, with Director Md Lokman Hossain saying that all 118 flights had landed in Jeddah by 10am, according to the latest Hajj bulletin.
Nine pilgrims have died so far due to natural causes, including eight men and one woman. Seven deaths occurred in Makkah and two in Medina.
Healthcare support has been extended to thousands of pilgrims. Saudi medical teams have provided treatment to 12,364 individuals, while the IT Helpdesk has delivered medical services to 11,055 pilgrims.
A total of 78,500 Bangladeshis have been permitted to perform Hajj this year. Of them, 660 agencies are managing operations under private arrangements, including 30 lead agencies and 630 coordinating agencies.
Airline data shows that 21,882 pilgrims travelled on 54 flights operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 16,555 on 43 flights of Saudi Airlines, and 8,091 on 21 flights of Flynas Airlines.
The remaining 31,796 pilgrims are expected to arrive in phases through designated airlines, the Hajj office said.
The first Hajj flight, BG3001, departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on 17 April at 11:57pm carrying 418 pilgrims to King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. The flight was inaugurated by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Of the total pilgrims, 4,565 are performing Hajj under government management, while 73,935 are travelling under private arrangements.
The Saudi Embassy in Dhaka has issued 78,324 visas so far, including 4,445 under government management and 73,879 under private arrangements.
Subject to moon sighting, Hajj is expected to be observed on 26 May in Saudi Arabia.
Return flights are scheduled to begin on 30 May, with the last flight set to depart on 30 June.
