DHAKA: A few dozen Saudi officers are working round the clock at Dhaka’s international airport to streamline Hajj procedures, as 78,500 pilgrims from Bangladesh are poised to perform the spiritual journey this year.
More than 45,600 Bangladeshis registered for this year’s pilgrimage have already arrived in Jeddah on 115 special Hajj flights, which started in mid-April, the Bangladesh Hajj Office said on Monday.
Those departing from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the Bangladeshi capital are taken care of directly by Saudi immigration officials under the Makkah Route initiative, which was introduced in Dhaka in 2019.
The pre-travel program allows pilgrims from several of the largest Muslim-majority countries to complete all entry requirements in their home country and saves them long hours of waiting before and upon arrival in the Kingdom.
It also allows pilgrims to check in their luggage at their home airport and have it tagged and transported directly to their accommodation in Saudi Arabia.
“Our pilgrims are enjoying both of the facilities under the Makkah Route initiative,” Bangladesh Hajj Office Director Lokman Hossain told Arab News.
“Saudi immigration officials are stationed here around the clock to carry out pre-immigration procedures for our pilgrims. More than 50 officers, both male and female, are providing assistance in different shifts.”
The swift pre-immigration procedures are especially helpful to vulnerable pilgrims.
“The Saudi officials at the airport are very welcoming to the pilgrims,” Lokman said. “All our pilgrims are delighted with the services provided by officials at the Makkah Route facilities at Dhaka airport. It has significantly reduced hassle, especially for women, the elderly, and people with disabilities.”
For Ismail Khandaker, a farmer from Thakurgaon, the experience was special and Makkah Route facilities felt like a preview of Saudi Arabia itself.
“From the entry point to boarding the plane, it was an excellent example of Saudi hospitality. The officials treated us as distinguished guests. The immigration officers were very polite and gentle,” he said.
The last flights carrying pilgrims from Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia are scheduled for May 21.
Subject to moon sighting, Hajj is expected to begin on May 26. Return flights for Bangladeshis are expected to begin departing from Jeddah on May 30.
