First Hajj flight from Sylhet leaves for Madinah

The first Hajj flight of Bangladesh Biman from Sylhet Osmani International Airport left on Wednesday for the holy city of Madinah in Saudi Arabia carrying 417 passengers. 

Among them, 408 were hajj pilgrims and nine were general passengers, said Shah Newaz Majumder, manager of Bangladesh Biman's Sylhet District. 

The Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG 237 took off from the airport at 5:25 pm, he added. 

The flight is scheduled to arrive at 12:15 am (Bangladesh time). 

Meanwhile, an inauguration ceremony was held before the first Hajj flight took off. 

Sylhet District Manager Md. Shahnewaz Majumdar presided over the inaugural ceremony, with Shafiul Alam, joint secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, as the chief guest. 

After the ceremony, a special prayer was offered for all Hajj pilgrims. 

According to the sources, today's flight will go directly to Madinah while the remaining four flights will go to Jeddah. 

The second of the four flights will leave on May 23 at 5:25 pm (BG-235), the third flight will leave on May 25 at 1:15 pm (BG-331), the fourth flight will leave on May 26 at 4:45 pm (BG-235) and the last and fifth flight will leave on May 29 at 4:45 pm (BG-235).