Bangladeshi Expatriates Must Travel from Home Country for Hajj: Government Directive

The Bangladeshi government has announced that all expatriate Bangladeshi citizens intending to perform Hajj must travel to Saudi Arabia from Bangladesh. They will no longer be allowed to undertake Hajj directly from their country of residence.

In a recent circular issued by the Hajj-1 Section of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Hajj agencies were formally notified that Bangladeshi citizens living abroad must return to Bangladesh before embarking on the pilgrimage to Mecca. Any violation of this rule will hold the respective Hajj agencies accountable.

The letter notes that every year, many expatriate Bangladeshis perform Hajj under the country’s allotted quota. However, recently, some agencies have been registering these individuals under Bangladesh’s Hajj quota and then facilitating their direct travel from foreign countries to Saudi Arabia.

This practice, the ministry says, creates administrative and logistical complications and goes against the official regulations set by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

According to Saudi guidelines, Hajj pilgrims registered under one country’s quota must travel to Saudi Arabia from that specific country only. Violating this rule is considered a breach of protocol.

Additionally, the Saudi government now requires that pre-arrival data, including flight details, be submitted into a designated system at least 48 hours before arrival in Saudi Arabia. Upon arrival, each pilgrim is received by designated Saudi companies, taken to pre-arranged accommodations, and has their passports collected for secure handling.

The circular warns that when expatriates bypass these steps and travel directly to Saudi Arabia from third countries, it leads to:
Disruption of Hajj operations coordination
Flight seat wastage
Violation of Saudi directives
And potential complications in pilgrim management

To maintain a smooth and coordinated Hajj management system, the Bangladeshi government has urged all Hajj agencies to ensure that overseas Bangladeshis travel from Bangladesh only. The ministry also emphasized that failure to comply will result in accountability and possible penalties for the concerned agencies.