The draft Hajj Package for 2012, approved by the cabinet on Monday, proposes to increase the charge each pilgrim would have to pay for performing Hajj under government management to Tk3,03,440 from last year’s Tk 2,59,042, said officials.
They said that the religious affairs ministry placed the draft at the weekly cabinet meeting chaired by prime minister Sheikh Hasina at the secretariat.
The increased charge would be valid also for those intending to perform Hajj under private management, they said.
The charge includes the cost of food which would be Tk 26,000 more than in the last year for those intending to perform Hajj under government management, they said.
Cabinet secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said that the increased charge was attributable to devaluation of Taka against dollar and Saudi riyal.
He told reporters that US dollar appreciated by Taka eight to Tk 82 from Tk 74 and riyal by Taka one to Tk 21 from Tk 20 since last year.
He said that the increased cost of meal of Tk18,375 per pilgrim was another factor for raising the charge.
The cabinet secretary said that the private agencies would not be allowed to charge less than Tk3,03,440 for each pilgrim they handle to ensure the quality of service.
Those performing Hajj under private management are categorized as ‘non-ballotee’ pilgrims.
This year Saudi Arabia allowed Bangladesh to send a maximum 1,20,000 pilgrims to perform Hajj, expected to take place on October 26.
This year, the cabinet secretary said, about 10,000 pilgrims from Bangladesh were expected to perform Hajj under government management and the rest would do it under private management.
Last year it cost a pilgrim Tk 2,59,042, excluding the meal charge, to perform Hajj under government management.
The private Hajj agencies were asked not to charge less than Tk2,59,042 from each pilgrim last year.
The government made it mandatory for the private agencies handling the Hajj pilgrims to report regularly to the religious affairs ministry about the money they charge before sending the pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, the cabinet secretary
added.
Last year, the government allowed 14 airlines as third carriers besides Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines for ferrying 1,07,343 Hajj pilgrims from Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia and bringing them back home.
Last year it cost a pilgrim $1465 for the two-way journey.
Officials said that this year the airfare would be increased to $1470 per pilgrim.
-With New Age input
