JEDDAH, 20 December 2004 — Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are sending more Haj pilgrims this time than last year. Over 46,000 are coming from Bangladesh as against 40,000 last time and over 6,000 are coming from the Indian Ocean island state as against 5,857 last year.

“We’ve signed an agreement for 50,000 pilgrims, but we expect 46,000 pilgrims,” Bangladesh Consul General Ashraf Uddin told Arab News yesterday. The figure includes 4,000 who will be coming through the government channel. Private tour operators will bring in the rest.

Both Saudi Arabian Airlines and Bangladesh Biman are sharing the transport of pilgrims.

The first flight is arriving at the Haj Terminal on Dec. 23. Bangladesh Ambassador Maj. Gen. (Retd.) S.M. Ikramul Haque and the consul general will receive the first group of pilgrims, which includes a batch of pilgrims from the Bangladesh Army. “We’re also getting a 100-member medical and administrative team to assist our pilgrims,” the consul general said, adding that more than 100 volunteers have been locally recruited as part of the consulate’s Haj arrangements.

Seventy Bangladeshi pilgrims died during the last Haj. Of them eight perished in the stampede. The rest were all natural deaths, he said.

From Sri Lanka more than 6,000 pilgrims are expected, the highest ever from the island. Saudi Arabian Airlines, which is transporting the bulk of Sri Lankan pilgrims, is bringing the first group on Dec. 25. Sri Lankan Consul General A.M.J. Sadiq will welcome the pilgrims when they land at the Haj Terminal at 2:45 p.m. on the day. The Kingdom’s national carrier is operating 14 flights in the first phase, which will continue up to Jan. 16. The second phase of flying back the Haj pilgrims will be from Jan. 26 to Feb. 16. “Royal Jordanian, Qatar Airways and Emirates are the other carriers transporting the Sri Lankan pilgrims,” the consul general said yesterday.

All pilgrims from the island state are coming through 79 private Haj operators.

Alavi Mowlana, governor of the western province and adviser to President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Muslim affairs, will lead the official Sri Lankan Haj delegation.

“Although the official pilgrim quota for Sri Lanka is 2,400, which is based on the country’s Muslim population, the Ministry of Haj has been generous to grant our requests for a higher quota of 6,500 pilgrims, because of a heavy demand from the island’s Muslim-concentrated eastern province,” Sadiq said. “We consider this as a special favor from Haj Minister Iyad Madani.” Sri Lankan Muslims constitute 1.5 million, or eight percent of the island’s 19 million population.

Sadiq said the Kingdom had extended Haj facilities to three relatives of each of the island’s nine pilgrims killed in last year’s stampede. Like in the past, medical service will be provided at Ceylon House, close to the Holy Haram.

Half a dozen doctors are coming as part of the island’s medical team.