Establishment of Hajj Directorate is essential for smooth Hajj management
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Establishment of Hajj Directorate is essential for smooth Hajj management
Preparations have started ahead of the holy Hajj of 2025. After the official announcement of the ‘Hajj Package-2025’ by Religious Adviser Dr. A.F.M. Khalid Hossain, two groups of private Hajj agencies have separately announced ‘Private Hajj Packages’.
Although the ‘Hajj Package and Guidelines 2025’ states that the agencies must accept the ‘General Hajj Package’ announced for private pilgrims and can have an additional maximum of one ‘Special Hajj Package’. But a group of private Hajj agencies has broken the rules and announced three packages, which is outside the rules.
This lack of coordination is showing a bad sign in the Hajj management because, the organization of agency owners, Hajj Agency Association Bangladesh (HAAB), looks after the services and service providers of private Hajj pilgrims. The member agencies of the HAAB conduct their activities in a specific process. But after the interim government took charge, some agency owners created chaos here, dissolved the committee, brought in administrators to the HAAB, and even announced separate packages. Basically, their last word is to seize the HAAB and gain benefits, the welfare of the pilgrims and a good Hajj management are not their concern. If this continues, there will be a disaster in this year's Hajj management, the entire reputation of which will fall on the interim government.
There are mixed reactions to this year's Hajj package, even though the price has been reduced, the pilgrims will have to stay 3 kilometers away from Makkah. Many say that the price of the Hajj package is right, but the pilgrims will have to live far away from Makkah and Medina. The pilgrims will inevitably suffer from the pain.
This 'torment' seems to have become the destiny of the pilgrims. Somehow, the pilgrims of Bangladesh are unable to get out of it. Hajj and pain seem to be intertwined. We think that if transparency is brought to the Hajj management as a whole, the pilgrims will be relieved of this pain. And the interim government can start this work with importance. If they cannot, it is difficult to hope that anyone will do it or can do it in the future.
During Hajj, what is more important to the pilgrims than the quality of the hotel is a hotel close to the Haram and the Prophet's Mosque. Along with a little good food and good treatment from those involved in the management. Experience has shown that the pilgrims are almost ready to endure hardship. But there is a limit to tolerance!
The Hajj pilgrimage is a huge undertaking. There are various arrangements including preparation for the pilgrims, collection and deposit of money, group matching, booking of flight tickets, renting houses in Makkah and Medina, and allocating tents in Mina and Arafat. Apart from this, there is also the arrangement of getting people of different ages and tastes to perform the Hajj work together and arranging their accommodation and food. Apart from all these routine tasks, if someone suddenly gets lost or falls ill, the agency people also have to handle it. At some stage of these tasks, the pilgrims may feel pain, may be the victim of contempt and neglect - but most pilgrims forget it.
Because most pilgrims go to Hajj once in their lives, they do not speak out against these things, they cannot talk about their hardships; they do not protest. Therefore, these cannot remain out of practice day after day, year after year. A solution is needed for this. Irregularities, corruption and arbitrariness in a sacred matter like Hajj cannot continue year after year.
For this reason, the Hajj Directorate is needed for the sake of smooth Hajj management. Multiple regional Hajj offices will be operated under the Directorate. In addition, there will be a specific manpower structure approved by the government for the Directorate and its subordinate offices. Who will work on the development of the Hajj system throughout the year. Then there will be no opportunity to leave any loopholes in the Hajj management by talking about last-minute matters and claiming to be in a hurry.
A huge undertaking like Hajj is never possible for the government alone. In this case, the supporting force is the private Hajj agencies and their organization, the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB). Various parties are active in the HAAB, but at the moment there is no committee in the HAAB. The HAAB is being run by an administrator appointed by the Ministry of Commerce. It should be remembered that the absence of a committee in the HAAB is a kind of guardianship for the Hajjis. Anyone can take advantage of this guardianship. No one knows more than the agency owners about the harassment of Hajjis from the beginning of the Hajj initiative until their return and the holes in the government's reputation. The Hajj Directorate may be the best option to protect future Hajjis from this fear. For a long time, those involved in Hajj have been talking about forming a directorate for the sake of proper Hajj management. If there is a Hajj Directorate, more Hajjis can be sent to Saudi Arabia under government management. In addition, the directorate will be responsible for the overall management of Hajj and Umrah. In particular, it will arrange for the transportation of Hajjis by air or sea according to international rules. In this case, airlines or sea-going ships can be easily arranged through open competition. As a result, the cost of Hajj will be reduced to a great extent.
Hajj Directorate starts from e-Hajj management, accepting and fulfilling Hajj quota, announcing Hajj packages, replacing Hajj pilgrims, operating Dhaka Hajj Office and Makkah-Medina and Jeddah offices, issuing and renewing Hajj agency licenses, cancelling or temporarily suspending licenses, surrendering licenses, Hajj pilgrim transportation, mobilizing Road-to-Initiative Makkah, accommodation in Makkah-Medina for Umrah and Hajj pilgrims, hiring Hajj guides, hiring temporary Hajj employees, sending various teams for Hajj management purposes, emergency funds, punishment for irregularities or misconduct by the agency, reconsideration, cancellation or suspension of sentences. The Hajj Directorate will be an independent institution under the Ministry of Religious Affairs. In short, the Hajj management will be completed under this directorate in both government and private management.
The cases of embezzlement of Hajj money by the owners or middlemen of the agency have decreased, but there are many scandals in the Saudi phase of Hajj management, including replacement. This involves the question of the country's image. Therefore, in order to protect the image of the government and the country, as well as maintain the religious significance and sanctity of Hajj, it is necessary to make the Hajj management process corruption-free, transparent, dynamic and people-friendly.
The process of keeping the Hajj pilgrimage smooth and easy, above fear, greed and lust, is not very difficult. There is nothing wrong with earning money honestly, but trying to make extra profit by holding the pilgrims hostage is extremely unfair and indicative of a low mentality. It needs to be stopped. Overall, there is a need for transparency in Hajj management. We want the appropriate authorities to think seriously about the matter.
