For the second consecutive year in a row, Bangladeshi nationals will not be able to perform Hajj this year too.
The Religious Affairs Ministry has confirmed this on Saturday.
To prevent the coronavirus pandemic, registration for the Hajj this year has been limited to citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia. According to The Arab News, a total of 60,000 Muslims will be able to perform Hajj this year.
Referring to the Saudi government’s decision, Bangladesh Religious Affairs Minister Faridul Haque Khan said, “Considerinhg the Covid-19 situation pilgrims from outside Saudi Arabia would not be able to perform the Hajj this year. Hajj will be performed on a limited scale with Saudi nationals and Muslims from other countries residing in Saudi Arabia”.
Every year, more than 2.5 million people gather in the country's holy cities of Makkah and Medina to perform Hajj. From this, the Gulf country would earn USD 1.200 billion every year.
However, during the budget speech for the fiscal year 2021-22 in the parliament on June 3, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal also said that Hajj transport was closed last year due to the pandemic and it will also be closed this year too.
