Hajj packages now cost Tk1 lakh more

Hajj pilgrims will have to spend Tk1 lakh more in performing the ritual this year under the two government packages announced.

Package-1 and package-2 will cost Tk5,27,340 and Tk4,62,150, respectively, State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan said in a press conference on Wednesday at the secretariat.

Compared to the cost in 2020, the price of government-approved package-1 has increased by Tk1,02,340 and the price of package-2 has increased by Tk1,02,150.

A Hajj package this year under private management has been proposed at Tk4,56,530 which is Tk 94,730 more than that in 2020.

Back then, the hajj package under private management was Tk3,58,000.

However, private agencies will be able to offer multiple packages like the government's package-1 and package-2.

Explaining the reason behind the big jump in Hajj package prices, the state minister said the higher Saudi Riyal exchange rate is one of the primary causes. The Saudi Riyal exchange rate, which was Tk23 in 2020, currently stands at Tk24.30.

Moreover, the Saudi government has imposed a 15% VAT, tax, and service charge on all sectors, while house rent and other costs have also gone up significantly, the state minister added.

Airfare has increased Tk12,000 compared to the pre-pandemic level. Now, the round-trip fare to Saudi Arabia will be Tk1.4 lakh. In 2019, the airfare for Hajj pilgrims was Tk1.28 lakh.

The Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh President, Shahadat Hossain Taslim, was present among others, at the meeting of the executive committee on Hajj management.

He told the media that they would announce the complete Hajj packages on Thursday. 

Each Hajj agency will be able to send a minimum of 100 pilgrims to a maximum of 300.

Following a two-year gap due to Covid-19 restrictions, as many as 57,585 pilgrims from Bangladesh will be allowed to perform Hajj this year, Faridul Haque Khan said.

Of this number, 4,000 pilgrims will go under government arrangement and 53,585 under private management. 

A pilgrim registered for any of the three packages in 2020 will have to register for one of the two government-approved packages this year.

The registration of 2020 pilgrims  will be cancelled if they fail to transfer their package, finalising the registration for this year, and their money will be refunded. 

Hajj flights are likely to start on 31 May from Dhaka for the Hajj rituals to start from 8 July.

This year, 31,000 people will travel on 75 flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines and the rest of the pilgrims will be transported by Saudia Airlines.