Hajj registration deadline extended again as quota remains unfulfilled

The government has again extended the deadline for registration to perform Hajj under ‘special consideration’ with the quota for Bangladesh unfulfilled.

Those planning to perform the pilgrimage must register by submitting Tk 200,500 nonrefundable initial fees within Feb 6, the religious affairs ministry said in a notice on Friday.

The registration will be finalised after they submit the rest of the cost of Hajj packages by Feb 29. The total cost can also be submitted with the initial fees.

This is the fourth extension after the end of the first deadline on Dec 10 as only 79,862 people, or around 60 percent of the quota for Bangladesh, have registered so far.

Saudi Arabia will allow up to 127,198 pilgrims from Bangladesh for the Hajj. The Muslim pilgrimage will begin on Jun 16, with the exact date subject to the appearance of the moon.

Of the Bangladeshi pilgrims, 10,198 will be able to make the journey through packages offered by the government, while the rest will travel through private agencies.

Under government arrangement, the general package will cost Tk 578,840 per person and the specialised one Tk 936,320 per person.

The Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh set the cost at Tk 589,800 for the general package, and Tk 699,300 for the special one.

The quota was the same for Bangladesh last year, but remained unfulfilled by 6,707.

Many of the Muslims in Bangladesh who had submitted their names for the pilgrimage last year did not complete the registration as the travel cost was high and there were fewer options.

The government had offered its package at Tk 683,018 in 2023 while the private agencies had set the rate at Tk 672,618 per person.