Over 50,000 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia

A total of 50,492 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia so far through 129 dedicated Hajj flights, according to the latest bulletin from the Ministry of Religious Affairs Hajj portal.

Of the total pilgrims, 4,071 travelled under government management while 46,421 arrived through private arrangements.

The bulletin issued on Sunday (May 10) said that 12 Bangladeshi pilgrims have died in Saudi Arabia during the ongoing Hajj season. Among them, 10 died in Makkah and two in Madinah. The latest reported death is that of Md. Abdul Matin, 53, from Jashore.

Airline-wise data shows that Biman Bangladesh Airlines has operated 59 flights carrying 23,591 pilgrims, Saudia operated 48 flights carrying 18,042 pilgrims, and Flynas transported 8,859 pilgrims through 22 flights.

Saudi medical teams have provided direct treatment to 21,014 Bangladeshi pilgrims, while 13,780 others received healthcare support through IT helpdesk services, the bulletin added.

This year, a total of 78,500 Bangladeshi pilgrims have been permitted to perform Hajj, including 4,565 under government management and 73,935 under private arrangements.

The official Hajj journey from Bangladesh began on April 18 with the first dedicated flight carrying 419 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. The outbound flight operation will continue until May 21, while return flights are scheduled to begin on May 30 and continue until June 30.