The first Hajj flight for the fifty thousand plus Bangladeshi pilgrims, who would perform, Hajj this year begins today. Biman Bangladesh Airlines will carry 38,663 Hajj pilgrims and the rest 20,000 will be carried by Saudi Airlines, a high official of Biman told the New Nation. Biman has arranged a number of chartered aircraft for ensuring hassle free travel of the Hajj pilgrims, he said.

This year some 50,420 would perform their Hajj under private arrangements while the rest 8,035 under government management, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs. No anomalies would take place this year as in the previous years as the concerned ministry has taken all sorts of efforts so that pilgrims could perform their Hajj without facing any trouble, it said. Under the government management accommodation of 7,753 pilgrims has already been confirmed in rented houses, it added.

A total of 250 Hajj agencies have been approved this year to handle the Hajj pilgrims, according to Hajj Agencies of Bangladesh. Most of them have already rented houses and received visas. Earlier the government decided to inaugurate the first Hajj flight from October 21 with a view to ensuring smooth travel of the pilgrims. The return Hajj flight will start from December 1.

-New Nation