Bangladeshis abroad must fly from home for Hajj, says government

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....