Prime Minister Mr. Tarique Rahman has said that state and diplomatic initiatives will be undertaken to reduce the cost of performing Hajj. This commitment is included in our election manifesto, which states that an affordable, accessible, humane, and expatriate-friendly Hajj management system will be established for devout citizens.

The Prime Minister made these remarks in a written reply to a starred question tabled by Salah Uddin, Member of Parliament from Gazipur-4, during the question-and-answer session designated for the Prime Minister in the Jatiya Sangsad today.

The Prime Minister said that Hajj is a bilateral management process carried out jointly by the Royal Government of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The cost of Hajj is determined in two parts. Approximately three-fourths of the total expense relates to the Saudi phase, which is fixed by the Saudi government. This includes tent rentals in Mina and Arafat, transportation charges, service costs in Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah, hotel accommodation in Makkah and Madinah, sacrificial animal expenses, visa and insurance fees, and other related charges. The remaining one-fourth of the cost is incurred in Bangladesh, primarily for air travel tickets.

He said that the minimum Hajj package for the current year, including Qurbani, was fixed at BDT 467,167. Of this amount, BDT 300,797 was allocated for expenses in Saudi Arabia, while BDT 166,369 was allocated for the Bangladesh portion. The airfare alone accounted for BDT 154,830.

The Prime Minister further stated that the minimum Hajj package last year was BDT 478,242. As a result, the cost of Hajj has been reduced by BDT 11,075 this year, and Hajj pilgrims have benefited from this reduction. Considering the global situation and the costs announced for the Saudi phase, the government will make every possible effort to reduce or reasonably determine the Hajj package price for next year in order to facilitate ordinary devout Muslims.