Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims say their sufferings started at Jeddah

Bangladeshi pilgrims claim to have suffered immensely during their return journey after experiencing two mishaps while performing Hajj this year.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has blamed mismanagement at Jeddah airport in Saudi Arabia for the sufferings.

The Hajjis have been complaining about delayed flights since Monday.

On Thursday, missing luggage added to their sufferings.

Patuakhali’s Nazrul Islam said his flight arrived at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport after 12:30pm.

“I haven’t got my luggage. Don’t know when I shall get them,” he said.

Chanpainawabganj’s Latifa Begum and Jhenaidah’s Aminul Islam also made the same allegation.

“I had to wait at the airport (in Jeddah) for 24 hours. Now I can’t find my luggage here,” Islam said.

“The suffering is no less than the horrifying experience of going through the crane accident or Mina stampede,” he added.

At the beginning of this year’s Hajj, 117 people, including a Bangladeshi national, were killed when a crane crashed at the Grand Mosque site in Makkah.

At the final legs of the Hajj, a stampede in Mina during the ‘stoning-of-devil’ ritual killed 769 on Sep 24.

Saudi Arabia, which earns around $8 billion from Hajj every year, has been blamed for mismanagement during the pilgrimage.

Bangladeshi pilgrims on their return recounted how they suffered in Jeddah airport.

Patuakhali’s Islam said his flight, scheduled to take off at 8:20am on Wednesday, left at 2am on Thursday.

Latifa Begum said they had to wait for a day on the street in front of Jeddah airport in the scorching heat.

“There was no water, no place to take rest. We did not even know when the plane would leave,” she said.

Bazlur Rashid from Noakhali said the women suffered the most.

“The pilgrims from other countries took rest at the terminal. But we could not manage a place there,” he said.

Biman issued a statement on Wednesday clarifying the delay.

“Actually the main problem was the terminal in Jeddah,” Public Relations Officer Tasnim Akter told bdnews24.com.

“The Jeddah authorities take more time to check our passengers every year. They took even more time this year after the crane mishap and Mina tragedy,” she said.

“They also delayed luggage loading,” she added.

She also said Biman informed the authorities in Jeddah of the missing luggage.

“They will send it in the next flight,” she said.