M Shahadat Hossain Taslim, has been re-elected President of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), said a press release on Friday. Khandaker Shamsul Alam, chairman of the election management board, announced the results at the Diploma Engineering Institution auditorium in the capital's Kakrail on Thursday. Read: Haab announces private hajj package Taslim, head of HAAB Combined Forum panel. secured 650 votes while his rival candidate Abdus Sobhan Bhuiyan, head of the panel of the Democratic Unity Front, got 79 votes. Congratulating voters Taslim said, “I will try to stand by the side of the pilgrims and the agency as well as maintain discipline in Hajj management. I will try my best to do whatever is necessary for their welfare.” The elections were held in Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet simultaneously. Read: HAAB announces private hajj package In the election, 27 central members and 13 members of Dhaka Regional Committee and seven members of Chattogram Regional Committee have been elected from the same panel. Earlier, seven members of Sylhet Regional Committee were elected unopposed. The winning leaders will then elect their secretary general. A total of 728 out of 1044 exercised their franchise in the HAAB election.

As Hajj management in 2022 will be technology based, necessary training will be given to pilgrims and others concerned , said State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan on Tuesday. “Pilgrims will perform hajj using different apps due to Covid-19 pandemic and currently Umrah activities are being performed by using apps in Saudi Arabia,” he said at a programme over Hajj management at the conference room of the ministry. The junior minister also said that the Saudi government also expressed its firm expectation that the Hajj will be held in 2022 due to improvement in Covid situation. Concerned officials, guides, representatives of Hajj agencies and pilgrims will be made aware of technology use in Hajj management and steps will be taken to give them training , he said.

State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on Thursday said Hajj management will be improved further in 2020.

Dhaka, Oct 17 (UNB) – Expressing satisfaction over Hajj management in the last season, State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Md Abdullah on Thursday said the management would be better next year as the government is working in this regard.