Over 10,000 Hajj pilgrims face uncertainty as accommodation not finalised: Adviser

Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain on Tuesday expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the pilgrimage of 10,487 Hajj aspirants under private management, due to the failure of several Hajj agencies to finalise accommodation arrangements in Makkah and Madinah.

Speaking at a press conference at the Secretariat, the adviser said, "Due to a lack of commitment and responsibility from some Hajj agencies, the religious affairs ministry is deeply concerned about 10,487 pilgrims—7,274 in Makkah and 3,213 in Madinah—whose house rentals have yet to be confirmed."

"We want to make it clear, if even a single pilgrim is unable to perform Hajj due to negligence or irresponsibility of any agency, that agency will be held accountable. The ministry will not take responsibility for any such failure, nor will it tolerate any form of carelessness," he said.

The adviser noted that officials from the ministry held a meeting with Hajj agencies via Zoom on 7 April to review the situation. According to agency updates, as of 12:30 pm on Tuesday, house rental requests for 1,126 pilgrims in Makkah and 1,067 in Madinah had not yet been submitted on the Nusuk Maasar platform.

Out of 81,900 pilgrims under private arrangements this year, accommodations for 74,626 in Makkah and 78,687 in Madinah have been confirmed so far, he said.

The number of agencies failing to finalise rentals stood at 21 until yesterday but has since come down to 9, the adviser added.

The adviser mentioned that as per the roadmap announced by the Saudi government, all pilgrims must obtain their visas by 18 April. The Religious Affairs Ministry has already issued letters to the Hajj agencies, urging them to complete all formalities within the stipulated time frame.

"We are continuously urging the agencies to submit house rental requests through the online platform. Show-cause notices have been issued to those who have yet to finalise rental agreements," he said.

He also called upon all agencies to complete the required procedures on time in the interest of enabling pilgrims to perform Hajj without hindrance.

A total of 81,900 pilgrims from Bangladesh have registered for Hajj this year through private arrangements. Due to Saudi Arabia's minimum pilgrim quota per agency, these pilgrims—registered under 753 agencies—will travel through 70 lead agencies, the adviser added.