Bangladeshis abroad must fly from home for Hajj, says government

Authorities say failure to follow this rule causes system “disruption”, leaves seats vacant and raises health concerns among pilgrims

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The interim government has said Bangladeshis living abroad must travel from their home country to perform Hajj.

According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, there is no option for Bangladeshis residing or staying in other countries to fly directly to Saudi Arabia under Bangladesh’s Hajj quota.

In an official letter, the ministry referred to Article 14 of the mandatory guidelines issued by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, which prohibits any registered Hajj pilgrim from travelling to Saudi Arabia from a country other than the one under which they are registered.

It says some agencies are registering Bangladeshis living abroad and flying them directly to Saudi Arabia, bypassing Bangladesh. This has created several complications in managing the Hajj process.

The letter explains that such travel arrangements prevent authorities from submitting required pre-arrival data -- including flight details -- through the Saudi Nusuk Massar system.

In addition, it becomes impossible to conduct health screenings or administer mandatory vaccines like meningitis and influenza. Authorities cannot certify whether the individual has a chronic illness or is physically fit to perform Hajj.

The ministry noted that these pilgrims miss out on official Hajj training.

It added that unauthorised travel arrangements are leaving airline seats vacant and causing “wider disruption” to the overall Hajj management system.

To ensure smooth coordination, Hajj agencies have been instructed to send all registered pilgrims living abroad from Bangladesh, not from their current country of residence.

Agencies that fail to comply will be held responsible for any resulting complications, the letter said.