No police verification for Hajj pilgrims from this year: Minister

The intending Hajj pilgrims will not require any police verification from this year, Religious Affairs Minister Motiur Rahman said today.

“In previous years, it was mandatory for Hajjis to go through the police verification process but from this year they will not require further police verification,” he said while addressing a press briefing at his ministry office at the Secretariat in Dhaka.

This year’s registration process of intending hajj pilgrims under the government management began today, which will continue till March 11, the minister said.

The hajj flight will start from July 14, he added.

He also said the ministry has cancelled license of 64 private hajj agencies and took different actions including imposing fines to 98 hajj tour operators for their involvement in different irregularities in carrying out hajj activities in 2017.

In reply to a question, the minister assured that there will be no disruption in hajj flight schedule this year.

On February 22, the ministry published a list of serial numbers of Hajj pilgrims, who will be able to enroll in the final Hajj registration this year.

According to the Hajj agreement with Saudi Arabia, a total of 127,198 pilgrims from Bangladesh will be able to perform hajj this year. Of them, 7,198 will perform hajj under the government management and 120,000 under private management.

The hajj is likely to be held on August 21 this year subject to the moon sighting.