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The government is set to launch a dedicated mobile application (app) to ensure hassle-free services of the country's Hajj pilgrims.
Chief Adviser (CA) Dr Muhammad Yunus is expected to launch the app formally on Monday (April 28), said a high official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Besides, the government would also set up Hajj management centres in the country as well as in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to provide hassle-free services to the pilgrims.
The National Committee on Hajj Management at a meeting on February 25 decided to establish the Hajj management centres. These would be operational at the Ashkona Hajj Office along with Bangladesh Hajj offices in Makkah and Madinah.
Director (Deputy Secretary) at Hajj Office, Dhaka Md Lokman Hossain told the FE on Friday that this year the pilgrims would not require carrying cash. Each pilgrim would get a debit card, which is reloadable in Bangladesh. It can be used for transactions in Saudi Arabia.
He also stated that the government has taken these initiatives as per the CA's directives to make this year's Hajj hassle-free.
Apart from launching the mobile app, the CA would also inaugurate Hajj pre-paid card service and roaming package on Monday.
The app would provide a wide range of services, including lost luggage tracking, medical assistance, complaint remedy, real-time information, and emergency support.
The authorities in Bangladesh would be able to monitor and support the pilgrims in Saudi Arabia round the clock through the app.
Md Lokman Hossain further said the app would offer support before, during and even after the Hajj journey. It would provide real-time instructions in Bangla, and guide the pilgrims on daily rituals and relevant prayers, travel routes, and historical backgrounds of sacred sites.
Questions could be addressed through the app's hotline, and suggestions can be submitted via a feedback portal. In case of health issues, call centre representatives would connect the pilgrims with medical professionals, he added.
A high official at the ministry told the FE that the government would introduce an affordable mobile phone roaming facility. It would allow the pilgrims to use their Bangladeshi SIM cards in Saudi Arabia without purchasing new ones.
Besides, electronic chips would be attached to luggage, enabling tracking from a central call centre, as losing luggage is a common issue for Bangladeshi pilgrims, and the chips would prevent that, he noted.
A total of 92,300 Bangladeshis will perform Hajj this year, of whom 5,200 under the government management and 87,100 through private agencies. A total of 941 agencies are engaged in Hajj operation this year. Hajj registration started on September 1, 2024 and ended on December 26.
Hajj flights are set to begin on April 29. The Hajj is expected to be observed on June 5, subject to the moon sighting.
This year, the cost of performing Hajj under the government management is Tk 4,78,242 under Package-1 and Tk 5,75,680 under Package-2. The minimum cost for pilgrims under private management is Tk 4,83,156.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com