69 hajj agencies’ licences cancelled

The government has cancelled licences of 69 hajj agencies for trafficking people in the name of Umrah, the secretary to the religious affairs ministry said today.

“We have cancelled licences of 26 agencies and also fined 26 others as they were engaged in trafficking people to Saudi Arabia in the guise of Umrah hajj pilgrims,” Chowdhury Babul Hassan said this responding to a query at a programme in Dhaka.

There were allegations against around 104 hajj agencies for trafficking people to Saudi Arabia, he added.

The government has taken the step on the basis of the outcome of an investigation report, he added.

After the allegations were brought against 104 Hajj agents including the president of the private Hajj agencies association, the ministry formed a five-member probe committee to investigate the accusation.

The Hajj agents allegedly trafficked 11,485 Bangladeshis in the name of Umrah last year, the ministry sources said.