Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the horrific bus crash that killed around 24 omrah hajj pilgrims and injured around 23 people at the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia on Monday.   But it was not clear how many Bangladeshis were among the dead. Authorities said they were trying to figure out that.  In a condolence message, she prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed souls and quick recovery of the injured persons. The bus was carrying pilgrims to the holy city Makkah. Reportedly, many of the passengers were Bangladeshis. The accident occurred at about 4.00 pm at Agabat Shaar in Asir province. Read more: Tremor in Turkey and Syria: PM Sheikh Hasina expresses shock She asked the Foreign Ministry officials and the Saudi Mission personnel to take necessary actions for recovering the bodies of Bangladeshi nationals and ensure proper treatment for the injured. According to the preliminary report, due to the malfunction of the brake system the bus lost control and collided with a car, rolled over, and caught fire.  The passengers could not get off the bus and around 24 passengers were killed on the spot.  

The Hajj and Umrah Ministry of Saudi Arabia has recommended pilgrims to perform Umrah just once during the holy month of Ramadan. To avoid crowding and guarantee that pilgrims have a simple and straightforward travel to the sites, the ministry recommended Muslims to undertake Umrah just once throughout the holy month, reports Al Arabiya. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Saudi officials were concerned about overcrowding at the holy sites because they wanted to make sure that travelers were safe at all times, it said. Read More: Saudi govt reduces Umrah insurance cost for foreign pilgrims by 63% The Nusuk app allows Muslims from all over the world to apply to participate in the pilgrimage and plan their whole trip there, including applying for a eVisa and arranging accommodations and flights, the report also said. Except for during Hajj, any period of the year is permissible for Muslims to go to Makkah to perform Umrah. Many people aspire to do Umrah during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Read More: Route to Mecca: MoU signed to make Bangladeshi pilgrims' Saudi visits easier

State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan on Sunday told Parliament that a total of 1981 people were sent to Saudi Arabia to perform the holy hajj at the government's cost since 2014.  He said this replying to a tabled question from Awami League lawmaker Didarul Alam after the day's sitting of the House started with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair in the afternoon. The state minister however said none was sent to hajj in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19 pandemic. Also Read: Biman to use own aircraft for Hajj flights this year In 2014, the government started a programme to send a certain number of Muslims to Saudi Arabia for performing hajj at lowest package price, he said  Among 1918 who performed hajj at government cost, 125 people were sent in 2014, 268 in 2015, 283 in 2016, 334 in 2017, 340 in 2018, 314 in 2019 and 254 in 2022.    

Saudi Arabia has offered services to seven million Umrah pilgrims from around the world in 2022. Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah allowed people with tourist visas to perform Umrah during their stay in the country for the first time last year, reports Al Arabiya News. The ministry also released 13 awareness guides, including Umrah comprehensive guide, for pilgrims in 14 different languages that facilitated pilgrims of all religious, medical, and procedural information before their arrival in the country. Read more: Route to Mecca: MoU signed to make Bangladeshi pilgrims' Saudi visits easier Citizens of 49 countries, who applied for tourist visas online and upon their arrival at airports, were also facilitated with service. It also facilitated pilgrims with all types of visas – instant visa on arrival, family visa, personal visa, and Schengen, UK and US visa holders, which were all issued electronically. Besides, the Umrah visa had been extended from 30 to 90 days. Read more: Joint working group to resolve passport renewal issues of Bangladeshis living in Saudi The ministry launched “Nusuk platform,” which includes 121 services to book and design the Umrah program and issue visas electronically to all countries, as per the media report. This platform has allowed five countries – Britain, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Kuwait – for the quick issuance of online visas through the Saudi Visa Bio smartphone application of the Saudi Foreign Ministry. A comprehensive insurance service for the pilgrims was also launched last year to cover the health emergencies, accidents and cancelling or delaying flights. Read More: How to Perform Umrah from Bangladesh?

Umrah pilgrims from five countries including Bangladesh must provide their biometric data, including “fingerprints” in order to get an electronic Umrah visa, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced. The four other countries are the UK, Tunisia, Kuwait and Malaysia. Read more: Age limit for Hajj pilgrims may be lifted from next year: State Minister Interested pilgrims will have to use the Saudi Visa Bio app that allows for visa registration via fingerprints and selfie biometrics to attend significant Muslim pilgrimages,  reports The Gulf News. The new app delivers on a commitment made by the Saudi government late last year to allow biometrics enrolment through mobile devices so pilgrims to Mecca can avoid visiting visa centres in person, and makes the country one of the first in the world to accept biometrics by mobile for visa issuance. Read more: How to Perform Umrah from Bangladesh? In February 2022, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) released an electronic passport with a chip that stores the user’s biometrics for authentication purposes.

Marking the climax of the annual pilgrimage of Hajj, around one million pilgrims ascended on Friday the vast plains of Arafat. Pilgrims in seamless white clothes - resembling a white sea of humanity -started their ritual of standing at Arafat, the most important pillar of Hajj, this afternoon. Chanting “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik (O God, here I am answering Your call)...,” the pilgrims flocked this morning to Namirah Mosque in Arafat, about 15 km east of Makkah, after spending a night of meditation and introspection in the Tent City of Mina, reports Saudi Gazette.  Read: Muslim pilgrims pray at Mount Arafat as hajj reaches apex Sheikh Muhammad Al-Issa, member of the Council of Senior Scholars and secretary general of the Muslim World League (MWL), delivered the Arafat sermon at the grand Namirah Mosque. The sermon resembles the famous farewell sermon of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he performed his only Hajj. In the sermon, Sheikh Al-Issa urged all Muslims to obey what God has commanded and avoid what He prohibited in order to attain victory, salvation, and happiness in both this world and the hereafter. “You must realize that hastening to do good things includes being keen to comply with the values taught by Islam; values that soundly mold the conduct of a Muslim and refine them in the best way. Among the values taught by Islam are avoiding all that leads to dissent, animosity, or division; and instead, ensuring that our interactions are dominated by harmony and compassion,” he called on the pilgrims. After the sermon, Sheikh Al-Issa led the prayers. Retracting the noble tradition of the Prophet (PBUH), he performed noon (Dhuhr) and evening (Asr) prayers, shortened and joined together, with one adhan and two iqamas. Pilgrims joined the prayers at and around Namirah Mosque, and then started performing the Standing (wuqoof) at Arafat. Wuqoof Arafat, one of the four pillars of Hajj, begins after noon prayers. Pilgrims would engage in prayers and supplications until after sunset. They will seek forgiveness and pleasures of Allah. Many of the worshippers were seen holding umbrellas against the fierce sun while chanting Talbiyah and reciting verses from the Holy Qur’an after ascending on Jabal Al-Rahma (the Mount of Mercy) in Arafat.

The first dedicated Hajj flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines from Sylhet left Osmani International Airport Tuesday morning. The flight BG-3131 with 419 pilgrims on board departed the airport at 10:00 am and is scheduled to reach Jeddah at 01:30 pm (local time), said a Biman press release. Read:2,415 more Bangladeshis can perform Hajj this year A total of 60,000 people are going to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia(KSA) from Bangladesh to perform the hajj this year. Among them, 50 percent of the total hajj pilgrims will be transported by Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ 67 dedicated flights including two from Sylhet.

The first hajj flight from Bangladesh has left the country around 9:00am on Sunday. The flight operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines was carrying 410 hajj pilgrims and was about to reach Jeddah around 12:45pm today. State Minister for the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali MP, State Minister for the Ministry of Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan MP, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Sazzadul Hasan, Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mokammel Hossain, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh Air Vice Marshall Md Mafidur Rahman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Dr Abu Saleh Mostofa Kamal and other officials were present at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport(HSIA) and bid farewell to the hajj performers. Also read: First hajj flight from Bangladesh to leave Sunday A total of 57,585 people are going to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia(KSA) from Bangladesh to perform hajj this year. Among them, a total of 28,793 hajj pilgrims, which is almost 50 percent of the total hajj pilgrims, will be transported by Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ flights. Biman will operate a total of 130 flights carrying hajj pilgrims this year, among which 65 flights will be operated between June 5-July 3 as pre-hajj flights and another 65 flights will be operated between July 14- August 13 as post-hajj flights. Also read: Hajj cost goes up by Tk 59,000 The Hajj Programme-2022 was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last Friday.

As many as 57,856 pilgrims from Bangladesh will be allowed to perform hajj this year after two years of gap due to Covid restrictions. State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan said this on Wednesday in a video message. Also read:Saudi raises number of hajj pilgrims this year 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. Also read: Hajj management for pilgrims from Bangladesh will be better: State Minister 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.

A million pilgrims will be allowed to perform Hajj in 2022, according to Saudi authorities. The numbers attending the annual event were severely reduced in the previous two years to combat the coronavirus pandemic, reports Arab News Pilgrims will need to be under the age of 65 and must have had COVID-19 vaccinations approved by the Kingdom’s health ministry. All pilgrims will need to present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the time of departure. The decision seeks to allow the largest number of pilgrims to take part in the Hajj, while preserving the health gains achieved by the Kingdom in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ministry said. Read: Hajj management in 2022 to be tech-based: State Minister The increase will be according to the quotas allocated to countries, taking into account health recommendations. Last year, 58,745 pilgrims performed Hajj, according to official data. Before the pandemic, the number of pilgrims often exceeded 2 million.