Association of Travel Agent of Bangladesh (ATAB), Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), Al-Quran Study Centre and some others have demanded a review of the Hajj package cost.
This year’s Hajj package is the most expensive in Bangladesh’s history as government set Tk 6,83,015 per pilgrim as the cost. However, the actual expense, will exceed Tk 8.5 lakh with sacrificial animal, food and other miscellaneous costs included.
The cost of performing Hajj is high in Bangladesh compared to other countries in the world, including neighbouring India, Pakistan and Malaysia.
Against this backdrop, a legal notice has been served asking the authorities concerned of the government to reduce and re-fix the cost of the Hajj package within Tk 4 lakh per pilgrim.
Advocate Ashraf-Uz-Zaman, a Supreme Court lawyer and chief coordinator of the Al-Quran Study Centre, sent the legal notice to the Ministry of Religious Affairs on Monday (March 6).
In the legal notice, he said that they would take necessary steps against the ministry if it fails to re-fix the hajj expense in seven days.
On February 2, the ministry announced the Hajj package cost. Most of the points of the package announced by the ministry are unreasonable and beyond the reach of common people, Ashraf-Uz-Zaman said in the legal notice.
In the legal notice, he also said the Ministry of Religious Affairs mentioned the airfare to be Tk 1,97,797 whereas the current fare is Tk 76,000 to 1,10,000 on the Bangladesh-Saudi-Bangladesh route. Every year, the governments compels the Hajj pilgrims to purchase air tickets from Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi Airlines to give illegal benefits to these airlines, he said.
In the legal notice, the lawyer mentioned a few other points, including house rent in Makkah and Medina, Zamzam water, visa fees and transportation, saying that the fees have been charged higher than the actual costs.
Leaders of ATAB and HAAB said that the main reason for the rise in the Hajj package cost is the fare of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. They said alongside the flag carriers of Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, the government should allow other airlines from India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia to carry Hajj pilgrims.
HAAB President M Shahadat Hossain called upon the authorities concerned to reduce the fare. Biman Bangladesh Airlines has increased the fare to make extra profit. As a result, the cost of Hajj package under both the government and the private Hajj management has increased, he said.
This year, 1.27 lakh Bangladeshis will be able to perform Hajj. Of the total, Biman Bangladesh Airlines is supposed to carry fifty percent and two flag carriers of Saudi Arabia are supposed to carry the rest.