Due to technical glitches in online server of Saudi Arabia immigration system, Bangladeshi pilgrims will not have pre-arrival immigration facilities at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at Dhaka which was assured by the Saudi authorities only a month ago. Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) president M Sahadat Hossain Taslim made the discloser to media after visiting Ashkona Hajj Camp in the capital on Wednesday.
He said the Daudi authorities have told us that they are working hard to resolve the unexpected problem that occurred all of a sudden. Mentionable, to ensure hassle-free Hajj from this year, the government inked a deal with the Saudi government arranging completion of immigration procedures at Dhaka before boarding planes at HSIA.
It is to be noted that this year a total of 60000 pilgrims were supposed to get the facility. But due to the sudden technical problem in Saudi server system, the pilgrims will not get the privilege. Informing that due to the same technical glitch, Indonesia and Malaysia are also not getting the privilege, Taslim said, “Saudi government is sincere in this regard. With their own funding they set up Saudi Counter at 11 number departure at HSIA.”
“Unless the Saudi immigration authority recover their server system, pilgrims will not be able to get the facility,” he added. About the visa complexity, he further said, “As visa processing is conducting through online, no complexity will rise. On the other hand, as Biman have already sold 99 percent tickets of its 365 hajj flights, there is no fear of any hajj flight cancellation this year. No pilgrims will suffer.”
On May 26 last, Religious affairs minister Sheikh Abdullah told the Bangladesh Post: “With an aim to remove the sufferings of lengthy immigration procedure at Mecca, this year, the pilgrims would complete their required immigration formalities at HSIA before boarding the plane,” he said, adding with the introduction of this new immigration procedure, pilgrims from now on would not have to wait 10-12 hours at Jeddah airport.
“So, after reaching Saudi Arabia, a pilgrim would not be burdened by the anxiety of lengthy immigration process to face at Jeddah,” he further informed. Some 1,27,198 pilgrims from Bangladesh are set to perform hajj this year. Biman will carry 63,599 passengers, which is about half of the number of total hajj pilgrims. The remaining pilgrims will be flown by Saudi Airlines, the national carrier of Saudi Arabia.
Biman will operate 189 pre-hajj flights, 157 dedicated and 32 scheduled flights from July 4 till August 5 by its own four Boeing 777-300ER. The airline will operate 11 flights to Madina from Dhaka for the first time this year. Apart from Dhaka, 19 hajj flights will be operated from Chattogram while three from Sylhet.
Biman will operate 176 post-hajj flights, 147 dedicated and 29 scheduled flights from August 17 to September 15. The airline will charge 200 US dollars per ticket in case of changing travel date, the release said adding that the cost per ticket will rise to 300 US dollars, if any pilgrim changes the travel date less than 24 hours of his/her scheduled flight.
