Hajj flights kick off

The first hajj flight, carrying 417 pilgrims, left Dhaka for Saudi Arabia on Thursday morning, reports UNB.

A flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines BG-3001 with the Bangladeshi pilgrims took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 7:15am, said Biman Bangladesh Airlines manager (public relations) Tasnim Aktar.

State minister for religious affairs lawyer Sheikh Abdullah and state minister for civil aviation Mahbub Ali saw the pilgrims off at the airport.

The Hajj flights carrying pilgrims to Saudi Arabia will continue until 5 August.

Besides, five other hajj flights will fly for Jeddah Thursday.

This year, a total of 1 27,198 pilgrims will go to Saudi Arabia for performing hajj.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines will carry a total of 63,599 hajj pilgrims while Saudi Arabian Airlines the rest, she said.

The return flights will begin on 17 August and continue until 15 September.

Bangladeshi pilgrims can now complete the immigration procedure from Dhaka airport before heading to Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, pilgrims were required to wait in the aircraft after landing in Saudi Arabia to complete the procedure - sometimes waiting for up to six hours.