5 February 2023, Sun, 12:17

Hajj package cost rises by over a quarter; Acting Ameer calls for reconsidering the decision

-Professor Mujibur Rahman

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Acting Ameer and former MP Professor Mujibur Rahman has issued the following statement on 5th February 2023 protesting the hike of the Hajj package under the government management for 2023.

The cost of the Hajj package has been increased from the government level. The government has declared just one Hajj package this time for which a pilgrimage has to make 6.83 lakh taka. Last year, there were two packages. The first package had been declared with a cost of 5.85 lakh and the package-2 cost was 5.21 lakh taka. From the minimum cost of last year’s package, this year the cost has been increased to one lakh 61 thousand and 865 taka. Moreover, Qurbani’s cost will be added to this package. Already, people are suffering miserably due to the financial crisis. But the sudden cost of the Hajj package to such an unprecedented level, it will be difficult for many people to perform this fundamental ritual of Islam. We are condemning the government‘s decision of increasing the Hajj package cost.

Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam. It is mandatory for affluent Muslims to perform Hajj once in a lifetime. It is the government’s moral obligation to motivate and encourage people for facilitating this ritual. But regrettably, we are observing the government’s reluctance and non-cooperation in this regard. For Umrah, it takes 1.3 lakh to 1.5 lakh taka. On the contrary, the Hajj package is being declared with a cost of 7 lakh, which is not acceptable. We believe the cost of Hajj will be reduced if we can curb irregularities and corruption. In that case, people will be motivated to attend Hajj and subsequently get the chance of attaining closeness to Allah.

I am urging the concerned authorities to reconsider the decision of increasing the Hajj package cost and also to fix the price and other facilities logically and reasonably.