Contracts with Hajj service providers must end by 14 Feb: Adviser Khalid

The government of Saudi Arabia has set 14 February as the deadline for completing agreements with Hajj service providers, with no possibility of extension, Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain has said.

“Although only four days left, nearly half of the registered pilgrims are yet to complete their contracts. If any pilgrim’s contract remains incomplete, neither the Saudi Arabia nor the Bangladesh government will take responsibility - the concerned agency must bear the consequences,” he said at a press conference at the Secretariat on Monday.

A total of 87,100 intending pilgrims have registered for Hajj this year including 5,200 under the government management and 81,900 under private arrangements, he informed the media.

“All agreements with intending pilgrims under government management have been completed. However, several private agencies handling hajj pilgrimage are showing delays in finalising their contracts,” the adviser said.

Responding to a question, he said that while all contracts under government management have been completed, only 45,000 pilgrims under private arrangements have finalised their agreements so far.