Govt to refund Tk4.87cr to 4,341 Hajj pilgrims: Minister

The government will refund a total of Tk 4.87 crore to 4,341 Hajj pilgrims who performed Hajj this year under government management, Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain (Kaikobad) said today (6 September).

He came up with the information while speaking at a press briefing held at the Secretariat on the refund of unspent money from the Saudi Arabian leg of the Hajj pilgrimage.

State Minister for Religious Affairs Mohammad Shamim Kaisar was also present.

Kaikobad handed over refund cheques to 10 pilgrims at the event. The money for the remaining pilgrims will be transferred to their respective bank accounts within one week.

"Some 4,341 pilgrims will receive a total of Tk4,87,23,014 as refunds in 2026. The money will be sent directly to their bank accounts," he said.

However, 23 pilgrims will not receive any refund as their medical expenses exceeded the amount covered by their health insurance, the minister added.

He urged Hajj pilgrims to remain alert to fraud, saying all refunds, grants and other assistance provided by the Ministry of Religious Affairs are transferred only through bank accounts. "No one from the ministry will call pilgrims to send money or ask for debit or credit card numbers, or PIN numbers of bKash, Nagad or Rocket."

"If anyone does so, that person is a fraudster. I urge everyone to remain cautious about fraudsters," Kaikobad added.

He said reducing Hajj expenses and making the pilgrimage more affordable for ordinary religious people was one of the government's key electoral pledges.

"Under the Prime Minister's special directives, airfares for Hajj 2026 were reduced by Tk24,830 compared to the previous year. Continuing this effort, airfare for Hajj 2027 has been reduced and fixed at only Tk1.30 lakh," the minister said, describing it as a historic and groundbreaking milestone for the welfare of pilgrims.

The government has also managed to rent accommodation at a lower cost than the amount allocated for house rent in the 2021 Hajj package, he said. "Through negotiations, we were also able to reduce service charges to some extent. The item-wise expenditure for each package has already been finalised," he said.

Kaikobad said there were three government Hajj packages in 2026 – Hajj Package-1 (Special), Hajj Package-2 and Hajj Package-3.

Under Hajj Package-1, pilgrims were accommodated at Hotel Buloorat Al Durrah, the No. 1 accommodation facility from the Kaaba.

Pilgrims under Hajj Package-1, accommodated at Hotel Buloorat Al Durrah, the No. 1 accommodation facility from the Kaaba, will receive refunds ranging from Tk38,697.32 to Tk1,80,572.71, depending on their package and room arrangements.

Under Hajj Package-2, pilgrims accommodated at Houses 2, 3 and 4 near the Hajj Mission in Makkah will receive refunds ranging from Tk78,713.94 to Tk2,505.49, depending on the accommodation and package.

Under General Hajj Package-3, pilgrims staying at House No. 5, or Hotel Number One, will each receive Tk3,718.09. No short-package or upgrade option was available under this package.