JEDDAH, 12 September 2004 — Bangladesh will send 10,000 more pilgrims for the next Haj, taking the country’s total to 50,000, according to Bangladesh Consul General Ashraf Uddin.
“The increased figure will still be 50 percent of the 100,000 Haj pilgrim quota allotted to Bangladesh,” he told Arab News yesterday.
The incoming pilgrims will include 8,000 ballottees and the rest non-ballottees. Ballottees are those coming under the government sponsorship and arrangements that include accommodation. The non-ballottees are required to make their own arrangement for accommodation, although they remain part of the official Haj arrangements and entitled to certain services that the consulate offers through its Haj wing to all pilgrims.
The country is not able to utilize the entire quota allotted to it because of “economic reasons.” He indicated that the number of Haj pilgrims could increase over the next few years as the pilgrimage becomes more affordable to the people.
Umrah pilgrims have also been coming from Dhaka by various airlines including Saudi Arabian Airlines and Bangladesh’s own Biman. Their number is expected to be bigger this year than in previous few years.
Ashraf Uddin, who has been here in his new capacity for about two months, said a Bangladesh delegation, led by Minister of Industries Motiur Rahman Nizami will be on a visit to the Kingdom from Sept. 20-26. He is coming at the invitation of the Muslim World League and his itinerary is expected to include meetings with his local ministerial counterpart and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).
The IDB has already given an assistance of $200,000 to provide relief to the flood-hit people of Bangladesh, in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management.
“The Kingdom has also magnificently responded to the needs of the flood-hit areas of the country,” Ashraf Uddin said, adding that a two-member IDB delegation is currently in Bangladesh taking stock of the relief work in progress across the country.
Elwalid A. Hamour, economist and country officer in charge of the desk that includes Bangladesh, leads the IDB mission.
A high-level Bangladesh trade delegation is also expected to visit the Kingdom toward the end of 2004 to explore the possibilities of further expanding bilateral trade.
