67,138 Bangladeshi pilgrims performing Hajj this year

A total of 67,138 pilgrims have travelled from Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this year.

As many as 172 flights carried the Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Religious Affairs said in its latest Hajj bulletin. They include 90 flights operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 56 by Saudi Arabian Airlines, and 26 by Flynas, according to bdnews24.com.

The Hajj flights from Bangladesh kicked off on May 9 and the last flight has been scheduled for Jun 12.

The moon for the month of Zilhajj was sighted in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, the Saudi Supreme Court said in a statement. Accordingly, Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated there on Jun 16 and the Hajj will be performed on the day before.

The main rituals of Hajj will be performed on Jun 15 at the Arafat ground and Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated the next day when pilgrims will sacrifice animals as part of religious tradition.

The first return flight to Bangladesh is scheduled on Jun 20 and the last one on Jul 22.

12 DEAD

At least 12 Hajj pilgrims from Bangladesh have died since reaching Saudi Arabia. Among them, nine died in Makkah and three in Madinah.

A female pilgrim died on Wednesday. Momtaz Begum, 63, hailed from Faridpur's Nagarkanda.

Another pilgrim, SK Ariful Islam, died in Makkah on Thursday. A resident of Rampura, Ariful went to Saudi Arabia aboard a Biman flight on Jun 2.