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The government is maintaining regular communication with Saudi Arabia to ensure smooth registration and overall management of the upcoming Hajj, Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad said on Saturday.
Speaking at an award ceremony for the best Hajj guides, the minister said Bangladesh was working to strengthen bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia while addressing various problems faced by Bangladeshi pilgrims.
Referring to last year’s challenges, he said two pilgrims were unable to travel for Hajj on time due to mismanagement by an agency but were later sent to Saudi Arabia with assistance from the police, National Security Intelligence (NSI) and other law enforcement agencies.
The minister said the government provided 100,000 bottles of drinking water free of charge to pilgrims last year and arranged luggage wrapping at no cost. He also claimed that no pilgrim lost luggage due to improved management.
He urged Hajj guides to improve their services, saying better performance would bring greater opportunities and larger rewards in the future. The best Hajj guides received Tk5 lakh in prizes this year.
Religious Affairs Ministry Secretary Munshi Alauddin Al Azad said the ministry would hand over money saved during this year’s Hajj operations to the government on Sunday.