6-month bike journey for Hajj: 64-yr-old Thai national passes thru Benapole

Aiming to go to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj on a bicycle, Thai citizen Isa Abdullah Salam this morning entered India via Benapole international Checkpost.

He entered India around 10:30am after the formalities at immigration and customs, our Benapole correspondent reports.

Earlier on January 16, Isa Abdullah, 64, flew away Dhaka from Thailand. Then he started his journey on a bicycle and on January 21 he reached Magura town. There, he took a break and yesterday he stayed at Jashore.

Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge of Benapole immigration checkpost, said Isa Abdullah confirmed that the process of Isa's passport was completed in the morning quickly and he entered India.

Isa has a plan to go Saudi Arabia via six countries -- Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Iran, Qatar and Bahrain.

He said, "It will take six months to reach Saudi via the six countries by a bicycle. After performing the Hajj, I would return Thailand on a different route. The entire journey will take one year to complete."

"I was a follower of Buddhism before. But I converted to Islam at the age of 25," he added.