The government has taken necessary preparations to ensure smooth and safe hajj for the pilgrims, said State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan on Monday.
All ministries, departments and organisations concerned have been asked to take necessary steps in this regard, he said while speaking at an Iftar Mahfil organised by Dhaka Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (Haab) in the capital.
As per the Saudi government’s directives, a total of 57,856 people from Bangladesh can perform hajj this year.
The government will announce hajj packages approved by the cabinet and give specific directives to pilgrims, hajj agencies and agencies concerned , he said.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia raised the number of Hajj pilgrims from inside and outside the kingdom to one million in 2022, authorities announced in a statement on April 9.
Hajj is open to those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are under the age of 65, added the statement.
READ: 57,856 Bangladeshis to perform hajj this year
Pilgrims travelling from abroad will also need to have a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before their departure for Saudi Arabia, the statement added.
Last year, 58,745 pilgrims performed Hajj in the world because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before the pandemic, some 2.5 million people used to travel every year to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.