More than 11,000 Bangladeshis have returned home after Hajj pilgrimage

44 people died during the Islamic pilgrimage amid soaring temperatures in Saudi Arabia this year

A total of 11,640 Bangladeshis have returned from Saudi Arabia after completing the Hajj pilgrimage this year. They returned on board 30 return flights from three airlines, according to the latest bulletin from the Ministry of Religious Affairs on Sunday night.

Out of 30 flights, Biman Bangladesh Airlines operated eight, Saudia Airlines 10, and Flynas Airlines 12.

More than 85,000 Bangladeshis went to perform the Hajj this year. These pilgrims went to Saudi Arabia on a total of 218 flights.

The Hajj flights started on May 9 and ended on Jun 12.

Biman transported 40,963 passengers on 106 flights, Saudia transported 30,076 passengers on 75 flights, and Flynas transported 14,186 passengers on 37 flights.

This year, the Hajj ceremony ended on Jun 15 and Eid-ul-Azha was celebrated in Saudi Arabia on Jun 16.

The return flights started on Jun 20 and will end on Jul 22.

This year, 259 agencies from Bangladesh were involved in Hajj activities. Among them, 61 Hajj agencies have been punished for various irregularities.

Religious Affairs Minister Faridul Haque Khan left the country on Jun 8 to perform Hajj and inspect Hajj preparations.

At that time, he assured of taking action against the banks which caused suffering for Hajj pilgrims.

The minister and Religious Affairs Secretary A Hamid Zamadder reached Makkah around noon on Sunday for an on-site inspection of the Hajj management at Madinah, according to the ministry's bulletin.

44 PILGRIMS DEAD

This year, 44 Bangladeshis – 35 men and nine women - died in Saudi Arabia while performing the Hajj.

Among them, 33 people died in Makkah, four in Madinah, one in Jeddah, and six in Mina.

The latest death was Syed Tamzed Ali, a resident of Dhaka's Demra, who died during his stay in Makkah. The 67-year-old Tamjed Ali arrived in Makkah on a Flynas flight.

According to Saudi Arabia's Hajj laws, if a person from another country dies while performing Hajj, his body is not repatriated and is instead buried in Saudi Arabia.

In such cases, the family of the deceased cannot send the pilgrim's body home or make any recommendations to the Saudi government to do so. The law notes that such a recommendation would not be acceptable to the Saudi government.

If a pilgrim dies in Makkah, the body is bathed and shrouded in Rusaifa.

When a pilgrim dies in Madinah and Jeddah, there is a separate arrangement for bathing and shrouding.

Freezer vans are provided by the Saudi government to carry the bodies of Hajj pilgrims.

Similarly, if a pilgrim dies while staying in Makkah, Mina and Muzdalifah, the funeral prayer service is performed in the Masjid al-Haram or Kaaba Sharif.

If they die in Madinah, the funeral is held in Masjid al-Nabawi. Besides, if a pilgrim dies in Jeddah or any other location, the funeral prayers are held in a local mosque.

The families or governments of the dead do not have to bear any costs for the funeral. All costs are borne by the Saudi government.