Only 25 aspirants have completed preliminary registration to perform the next Hajj under government management in the first 10 days since the registration process began on July 27, according to sources.
So far, they said, no one has registered under private management, said the Hajj Management Portal of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
To register, each intending pilgrim must deposit Tk 4 lakh as an initial payment. The final registration must be completed by depositing the full package cost after Hajj packages are officially announced.
Sources at the Ministry and the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) said the pace of registration usually remains low until packages are declared.
Once the cost is known, registrations usually surge and quotas fill up quickly.
This year, Bangladesh has a total Hajj quota of 127,198 pilgrims under both government and private management.
Hajj agency’s license cancelled for failing to send pilgrims to Hajj
The ministry has said Hajj packages are expected to be announced within August.
Based on the lunar calendar, the holy Hajj is likely to take place in the last week of May next year.
As per the Saudi roadmap, final registration, including full payment, must be completed by October 12.