Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurates the Hajj programme-2017 at the Hajj camp in the capital's Ashkona this morning.

She will go there at 10:00am to open this year's Hajj camp. After the inaugural programme, she will exchange greetings with the Hajj pilgrims.

This year, the Hajj flights carrying Bangladeshi pilgrims to Saudi Arabia will begin on July 24 and continue till August 26.

The first Hajj flight, carrying 419 pilgrims, will take off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 7:55am for Saudi Arabia, said Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon on Tuesday. 

He said total 177 flights would carry the Hajj pilgrims till August 26. The return flight would start on September 6 and continue till October 5. The number of return flights would be 169.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi Airlines will carry the Bangladeshi pilgrims.

Some 127,198 pilgrims will perform Hajj from Bangladesh this year under government and private managements. Of them, 4,230 pilgrims will perform Hajj under the government management.

From this year, flights carrying the Hajj pilgrims will also go to Madinah.