Some 404 Hajj pilgrims, out of a total of 90,401 such pilgrims, are facing uncertainty over performance of Hajj in Saudi Arabia this year because of anomalies in their passports. Some among these pilgrims apprehend that they might have become victims of fraud by private Hajj agencies, disclosed sources in the religious affairs ministry and the Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP). DIP officials said the numbers of the 404 machine readable passports (MRP) revealed anomalies during the scrutiny of the travel device. A list of these passports was sent to the religious affairs ministry from the DIP, and the ministry has been asked to send the passports to take the next step, they added.
The anomalies in the passport numbers of the 404 Hajj pilgrims have come to light just before the Hajj flights, which begin on Wednesday.
The acting secretary of the religious affairs ministry, Md. Abdul Jalil, told The Independent that they have already asked all private Hajj agencies to send the 404
passports of Hajj pilgrims to the DIP as soon as possible.
“We will take stern action against the private Hajj agencies concerned if they are involved in forgery of passports or in any kind of fraud,” he warned. The secretary disclosed that the DIP director general has said that they would issue passports within 24 hours to the Hajj pilgrims who are facing problems as a result of anomalies in their passport numbers.
DIP director general Brig. Gen. Md Masud Rezwan told this correspondent that they have found anomalies in 404 passports during the scrutiny process. “We have informed the religious affairs ministry about the matter and asked them to send these to us. We will issue the passports within the shortest possible time so that the Hajj pilgrims can perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
“We have got one or two handwritten passports of Hajj pilgrims. These would have to be converted into MRPs. The passport-holders have to come to our office,” he added.
Sources said a total of 101,758 pilgrims would go for Hajj from Bangladesh this year: 10,000 on government packages and the rest on private arrangements.
The overall cost of the government package has been fixed at Tk. 3,60,028. The base price of packages made through private arrangements has been fixed at Tk. 1,55,441. Operators add the costs of food and accommodation to it.