Action to be taken against agencies charging pilgrims for qurbani

To make the hajj travel hassle-free, the Minister of Religious Affairs has asked all hajj agencies not to take extra money from pilgrims for animals to be sacrificed in Saudi Arabia during the hajj this year.

Apart from this, the ministry also issued several other instructions following a meeting with Abdur Rahman Ghyanam, director general of Jeddah Airport Services, Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. The meeting was held on Zoom platform on Sunday, a press release said Tuesday.

Officials from the Bangladesh Hajj offices in Makkah and Jeddah, as well as the owners of Hajj agencies, participated in the virtual meeting.

The pilgrims will perform the Qurbani according to their preference, either by purchasing the Saudi government bank coupon or by making their own arrangements.

In consideration of the country's reputation, the ministry also requested hajj agencies refrain from sending zarda cartoons (tobacco products) to Saudi Arabia through hajj pilgrims.

At the same time, the ministry also requested the relevant authorities to ensure necessary data entry of all hajj-flights in the Saudi e-Hajj system before starting the hajj journey so that the hajj authorities in Madina and Jeddah airports could provide authentic information about the pilgrims.

Otherwise, disciplinary actions will be taken against the concerned agency if it fails to ensure data entry properly, the release added.