The Saudi government has no objection to the transportation of Hajj pilgrims from Bangladesh via sea, as confirmed by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Tawfiq Fawzan Al Rabiah.
However, he noted that discussions would need to take place with the relevant port authorities.
This information was shared during a recent meeting between Dr Al Rabiah and Religious Affairs Adviser Dr AFM Khalid Hossain at the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Jeddah.
Dr Al Rabiah further clarified that Bangladesh would also need to hold talks with shipping companies to facilitate the potential sea route.
Bangladesh is currently considering a trial plan to send 2,000 to 3,000 Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia by sea for the pilgrimage.
In addition, the Saudi Minister assured Bangladesh of an upgrade to the biometric system for pilgrims.
At present, the owners or representatives of Hajj agencies in Bangladesh must travel to Saudi Arabia two or three months in advance to secure accommodation and other facilities for pilgrims.
To address this, the adviser requested the issuance of Munazzem (multiple-entry) visas, to which Al Rabiah gave a positive response, promising to look into the matter.
Under the "Road to Makkah" initiative, Saudi immigration processes are completed at the Hajj camp in Dhaka, with pilgrim luggage scheduled to be delivered directly to Saudi hotels.
However, it was reported that several pieces of luggage went missing in both 2023 and 2024. The Saudi minister assured that corrective measures would be taken to resolve the issue.
Previously, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj had set a quota of at least 2,000 pilgrims per agency. The adviser requested that this ceiling be lowered to 250 for 2024, and the Saudi minister expressed his willingness to consider the request sympathetically.
The bilateral meeting was supported on the Saudi side by Dr Hasan Al Manakhera, deputy minister for International Cooperation, and Badr Al Salami, director general of the Ministry of Hajj Affairs.
The Bangladeshi delegation included Abdul Hamid Jamaddar, secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs; Matiul Islam, additional secretary; Brigadier Rakibullah, Chargé d'Affaires of the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh; Mia Muhammad Moinul Kabir, Consul General at the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah; Zahirul Islam, counsellor at the Bangladesh Hajj Mission in Jeddah; Muhammad Aslamuddin, Hajj Consul; Dr. Sadiq Hossain, an official at the Bangladesh Embassy; and Mahmudul Hasan, an official from the Jeddah Hajj Mission.
