No visa for 24,000 pilgrims yet

Despite the deadline for visa application ending yesterday, around 24,000 intended pilgrims registered under private hajj management are yet to get visas.

Top officials of religious affairs ministry said despite repeated warnings, private hajj agencies are dilly-dallying in ensuring visas for pilgrims.

As of yesterday, the visa process of around 60,000 hajj pilgrims has been completed.

This year, 85,257 Bangladeshis are scheduled to go to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, of which, 42,629 will be carried by Biman, while two Saudi airlines will carry the rest.

Of the total hajj pilgrims, 80,838 are scheduled to perform hajj under private management and the rest under government management.

"If any intended hajj pilgrims fail to get visa due to negligence of private agencies, they will have to be held accountable for this," Additional Secretary (Hajj Wing) of Religious Affairs Ministry Matiul Islam told The Daily Star.

The ministry on Friday wrote to the Saudi Hajj and Umrah Ministry to increase the deadline for applying for visa, he said, adding, "But we are yet to get any reply from the Saudi authorities in this regard."

"However, the positive side is the Saudi authorities have still kept their server open for receiving hajj applications from Bangladesh end."

Officials of the ministry said Saudi authorities have already increased the deadline twice following requests from Bangladesh government.

The Saudi Hajj and Umrah Ministry on May 7 extended the deadline for the second time for applying for visas to May 11.

Contacted, President of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) M Shahadat Hossain Taslim said they have instructed respective private hajj agencies to complete the visa process of hajj pilgrims within yesterday's deadline.