Officials offer a prayer before this year's first Hajj flight from Bangladesh takes off on Sunday, June 5, 2022 Dhaka Tribune
This year’s first Hajj flight from Bangladesh departed for Saudi Arabia on Sunday morning.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali and several other government as well as Biman officials offered prayers before the aircraft took off from Dhaka airport.

Hajj is going to be held on July 8 depending on moon sighting with participation of a million pilgrims from all across the world, reports UNB. Of them, 57,585 will be allowed to attend from Bangladesh.

Biman will carry 31,000 pilgrims on 75 dedicated flights, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday inaugurated the Hajj Program 2022 (1443 Hijri), urging everyone to uphold the dignity of Islam, the religion of peace.

She asked the pilgrims to abide by the rules and laws of Saudi Arabia while in the country.

This year the government fixed Tk1.4 lakh as plane fare.

Hajj is open to those who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and are under the age of 65.

Last year, only 58,745 pilgrims performed Hajj from across the world because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before the pandemic, some 2.5 million people used to travel to Saudi Arabia every year for Hajj.
Hajj likely to be held on July 8, depending on moon sighting