Bangladesh has signed a bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia on Hajj management for 2027, allowing 83,500 pilgrims from the country to perform Hajj next year. At the government’s special request, Saudi Arabia approved 5,000 additional pilgrim places beyond the regular quota.
Representatives of the two countries signed the agreement in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at 7 p.m. local time on Monday (November 9). Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain (Kaikobad) signed for Bangladesh and Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah signed for Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Religious Affairs confirmed in a press release.
Under the agreement, Saudi authorities assured Bangladesh priority consideration for extra allocations if any other country fails to fill its quota or sees its quota canceled.
The religious affairs minister said the Saudi Hajj and Umrah minister assured continued cooperation for Bangladeshi pilgrims. He expressed gratitude to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Hajj and Umrah minister, the officials involved, and the Saudi ambassador to Bangladesh.
The minister said the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is working to make Hajj management simpler, more transparent, and more citizen-friendly. Steps have been taken to ensure better services for pilgrims while maintaining accountability and transparency in administration, he said.
According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, 78,500 people from Bangladesh performed Hajj under government and private management last year. Under the new agreement, the total rose to 83,500, allowing 5,000 more people to go on Hajj next year.
Senior officials from the ministries overseeing Hajj and Umrah in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, the ambassadors of both countries, and officials from the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah attended the signing ceremony.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report