Bangladesh to seek 20,000 additional hajj slots

Bangladesh faces a problem with 20,000 waitlisted hajj pilgrims who fall outside its fixed quota for the 2027 pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia had already filled its earlier allotted quota of 78,500 Bangladeshi pilgrims for the 1448 Hijri hajj.

On Sunday, Mr. Syed Golam Sarwar, president of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), and Mr. Farid Ahmed Majumder, its secretary general, urged the religious affairs secretary to quickly arrange an additional quota of 20,000 pilgrims beyond the fixed 78,500. If this extra quota is not approved, these 20,000 waitlisted pilgrims may not be able to perform hajj this year, and they are spending days in deep anxiety.

Sources say Bangladesh’s hajj quota had long stood at 127,198 people. Over the past several years, political unrest and economic crisis caused the number of hajj pilgrims to drop sharply. As a result, Saudi Arabia reduced Bangladesh’s quota to 78,500 for 2027.

Now, due to the government’s effective and groundbreaking steps, the number of people wanting to perform hajj in 2027 has risen far beyond expectations. The quota filled up within the registration period, leaving more than 20,000 pilgrims on the waiting list. These waitlisted pilgrims are fully prepared, both mentally and financially, to perform hajj in 2027.

HAAB has urged the religious affairs secretary to take swift and effective steps to secure the extra quota so these guests of Allah can fulfill their pilgrimage. The number of pilgrims beyond the quota could rise further, since 14,291 unpaid vouchers remain in the registration process.

Given this situation, Bangladesh is preparing to ask Saudi Arabia for an increased quota. Religious Affairs Minister Mr. Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaykobad told Inqilab on Sunday night that under the previous fascist government, hajj pilgrims paid nearly 200,000 taka each in airfare. Under the guidance of PM Mr. Tarique Rahman, the airfare for 2027 hajj pilgrims has been reduced to 130,000 taka per person. This has boosted the number of pilgrims.

Answering a question, the minister said the government will request the Saudi government within a day or two to raise the quota for the waitlisted pilgrims. Minister Kaykobad expressed hope that the brotherly Saudi government will grant the extra quota to these waitlisted Bangladeshi guests of Allah.

Reports show that Saudi Arabia has allotted the largest hajj quotas for 2027 to Indonesia with 221,000 pilgrims, Pakistan with 179,210, India with 175,025, Iran with 87,550, Bangladesh with 78,500, Nigeria with 50,000, Ethiopia with 43,000, Algeria with 41,300, Turkey with 37,770, and Egypt with 35,375.

Final registration for the 2027 hajj officially closed on September 26. As of Saturday, a total of 75,982 pilgrims had completed final registration, including 5,090 under government management and 70,892 under private management. Within the fixed quota of 78,500, 1,727 guides have also registered. However, 14,291 people remain on the waiting list with unpaid vouchers in the registration process.

Sources at the religious affairs ministry say more than 20,000 pilgrims already stand outside the fixed quota, waiting to perform hajj. Once these waitlisted pilgrims get the chance to pay their unpaid vouchers, the actual number beyond the quota will become clearer.

Bangladesh’s total hajj quota for 2027 stands at 78,500, with 6,000 slots under government management and 72,500 under private management. Final registration began on July 27.

The ministry says it has no plan to extend the registration period further. Pre-registered pilgrims were asked to complete final registration by depositing 350,000 taka for their package within the set time. Officials say interest in hajj has grown this year because the government cut airfare and expanded facilities for pilgrims. As a result, a notable number of people beyond the fixed quota are now seeking to perform hajj.

However, the ministry says it will not register any pilgrims beyond the quota without Saudi Arabia’s approval. Talks are already underway with Saudi authorities on securing the extra quota. Ministry sources say Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia are expected to sign a hajj agreement in November, and quota expansion may become an important topic in those talks. A proposal for the extra quota may be sent to Saudi Arabia after discussion with HAAB.

Mr. Md. Kutub Uddin, owner of the private hajj agency Al-Kutub Hajj Travels, told Inqilab that since the hajj quota has closed, 316 of his fully prepared clients cannot register and go for hajj. He said a written application was submitted to the religious affairs secretary on September 26, requesting effective steps to secure an extra quota for these 316 pilgrims.

HAAB president Mr. Syed Golam Sarwar and secretary general Mr. Farid Ahmed Majumder told Inqilab that the country now faces no political unrest in this fascism free environment. The current 20,000 waitlisted pilgrims are fully prepared, both mentally and financially, to go for hajj. They said they have asked the religious affairs ministry to take swift and effective action to secure the extra quota of 20,000 pilgrims from the Saudi government. They added that Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia currently enjoy excellent relations, and they expressed hope that the Saudi government will grant these waitlisted guests of Allah the chance to fulfill their spiritual need to perform the sacred hajj.