All registered for Hajj likely to get visa: Ministry
So far 4,995 people out 5,200 got Hajj visas under the government management
All those who registered for hajj are expected to get visas, said an official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
"Our visa processing continues and Insha Allah, we hope all will get visas and will be able to perform Hajj," Deputy Secretary (hajj) of the ministry Mamun Al Faruque told a press briefing at Foreign Service Academy this evening (28 April).
Faruque said as the Saudi government launched a new visa processing system, there was lengthiness in its system and that was why visa processing for Bangladesh Hajj pilgrims were delayed to this end.
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The visa processing was supposed to be completed by 18 April but the Saudi government kept visa processing system open and Bangladeshis are getting visa for Hajj, he said.
So far, he said, 4,995 people out 5,200 got Hajj visas under the government management, while 58,777 out 81,900 obtained visas under private management.
Speaking at the briefing, Posts and Telecommunication Division Secretary Dr Md Mushfiqur Rahman said Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today inaugurated mobile app "Labbaik", Hajj prepaid card and Hajj roaming package facilities to make the Hajj pilgrimage easier.
About the Hajj roaming packages, he said with support from mobile phone operators, special Hajj roaming packages have been announced and using these packages, Hajj pilgrims will be able to send messages to and call their relatives or anyone living in Bangladesh or any country at relatively lower cost.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Chairman Maj Gen Md Emdad Ul Bari said there will be no need to have credit cards for the pilgrims to purchase different rooming packages with different validities.
About the prepaid card, Executive Vice President of Islami Bank Bangladesh Musharraf Hossain said hajjis can take easily the prepaid cards through the copies of their passports and will be able to spend maximum $1,200 using this card in Saudi Arabia.
He said those who will go for Hajj this year have already took over 1,000 prepaid cards from Islami Bank and it is expected that more Hajj pilgrims will take this card before going to Hajj this year.
Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam was also present at the press briefing, among others.
