103 hajj agencies served notices over mismanagement

Religious Affairs Ministry has issued show cause notices to 103 hajj agencies for poor arrangement and renting hotels for hajis far away from the Kaba Sharif in Makkah last year.  

The respective hajj agencies were given seven days’ deadline to explain why punitive and legal actions will not be taken against them in the regard.

Talking to The Daily Star, Anisur Rahman, secretary, religious affairs ministry said the Bangladesh Hajj Council office in its investigation found that around 103 hajj agencies were involved in irregularities in arranging accommodations.

According to the hajj policy, hajj agencies will have to maintain certain quality while arranging hotels for the accommodation of hajis.

Besides, hajj agencies have to arrange accommodations within a certain distance, sources at the ministry said.

In case of five to six-kilometer’s distance from Kaba Sharif, the respective hajj agencies have to provide transportation, added the source.

However, the Bangladesh hajj council office in Saudi Arabia found that at least 103 hajj agencies didn’t provide any transportation for the hajis despite renting hotels for the pilgrims five to six kilometers away from the Kaba Sharif.

In the show cause notice issued on April 4, the ministry said legal actions will be taken if those hajj agencies make poor arrangement and rent hotels for the devotees far away from the Kaba Sharif this year.

Low quality arrangement for hajis’ accommodation is a much talked about issue over the years.

Many hajj agencies promise to arrange better accommodation and food when they negotiate with intended pilgrims. Hajj agencies also make promises to the pilgrims that they will accommodate them near Kaba Sharif.

In both cases the promises are not kept by most of the hajj agencies as they were more interested to make money than to serve the hajis, Sheikh Mohammad Yasin, who performed hajj last year, told The Daily Star.