The registration process for the 2027 Hajj is set to conclude on September 24, with the Ministry of Religious Affairs announcing that no further time extensions will be granted.
In a notification issued on September 13, the ministry urged all concerned individuals, Hajj agencies, and associated banks to complete registration within the stipulated timeframe.
The notification stated that the Hajj registration process, which began on July 27, will end on September 24, and there will be no scope for extending the deadline beyond this date.
Meanwhile, due to rising Hajj costs, pressures on people's financial capabilities, increased expenses for accommodation and transportation in Saudi Arabia, and a growing trend of performing Umrah, Bangladesh has struggled to fill its designated quota in recent years.
Although Saudi Arabia has reduced Bangladesh's Hajj quota by nearly 50,000 to 78,500 pilgrims this year, fresh uncertainties have emerged over whether even this reduced quota will be fully utilized.
As of Saturday (September 19), final registrations were completed by 2,311 pilgrims under government management and 13,983 under private management.
With Bangladesh's total Hajj quota set at 78,500 and the final registration deadline on September 24, only 5 days remain in hand.
If pre-registered pilgrims fail to deposit 3.5 lakh taka from the package within these 5 working days to complete registration, their journey to perform Hajj will remain uncertain.
According to proprietors of relevant Hajj agencies, pilgrims are reluctant to deposit Hajj funds so far in advance, resulting in sluggish momentum for final registrations.
Considering the current pace of registration, ensuring the registration of such a large number of pilgrims in the final 5 days is viewed as a major challenge by stakeholders.
Hajj organizers express apprehension that if the designated quota of 78,500 is not fulfilled this year as well, Bangladesh risks facing further reductions in its quota in the future. Consequently, fulfilling even the downsized quota has become crucial for the government.
The primary reason behind the slow pace of Hajj registration is soaring costs. The cost for the government-managed economical Hajj package for 2027 has been fixed at Tk 5,05,648, while another package is priced at Tk 6,15,263.
Under private management, the economical package costs Tk 5,13,545, the general package Tk 5,95,580, and the special package Tk 7,91,060.
In 2026, the lowest government Hajj package was priced at Tk 4,67,137, though food costs were excluded from that package. This time, Tk 39,508 has been added for food. Furthermore, costs have increased due to the withdrawal of the lowest Category-D by the Saudi government in Mina and Arafat, adding 750 Riyals, along with currency exchange rate adjustments.
Consequently, despite a reduction of about Tk 25,000 in airfares, overall Hajj expenses have not decreased. Instead, the declared price of the lowest government package has risen by Tk 38,511, alongside increased costs in private packages compared to the previous year.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by Staff Correspondent • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
