Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurating the Hajj Program-2023 activities has sought prayers from the pilgrims for the people of Bangladesh. On Friday (May 19) morning at the Haj office in Ashkona of the capital, he offered this prayer during the inauguration of ‘Haj activities-2023’ and exchange of greetings with Haj pilgrims.
Sheikh Hasina said, I want prayers from the pilgrims so that no one can play with the fate of the people of the country. At this time, the Prime Minister urged the pilgrims to pray to God to protect the nation from natural and man-made disasters.
The first flight of this year’s Hajj is scheduled to depart for Saudi Arabia from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport tomorrow, Saturday (May 20) at 2:45 PM.
This year a total of 1 lakh 22 thousand 221 pilgrims from Bangladesh are going to Saudi to perform Hajj. Last year the number of pilgrims from Bangladesh was 57 thousand 585 due to covid-19 restrictions. Before the epidemic, in 2019, 1 lakh 27 thousand 198 people from Bangladesh went to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj.
State Minister of Religion Md. Ministry Secretary Kazi Enamul Hasan gave a welcome address under the chairmanship of Faridul Haque Khan MP. Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali, Member of Parliament Habib Hasan, Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yousef Essa Al Dulaihan and President of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAB) Shahadat Hossain Taslim also spoke on the occasion. A video documentary on Hajj management was shown at the beginning of the program.