The registration period for Hajj in 2025 ends tomorrow, Thursday. The branches of banks involved in Hajj activities will be open even after office hours on this day so that no Hajj pilgrims face any complications with their registration at the last minute.

As of Wednesday (December 25) night, 76,942 Hajj pilgrims have registered through the government and private sectors. According to the quota, 127,198 people from Bangladesh can go for Hajj. That is, 50,256 of the quota are still empty so far.

Although there is only one day left, the desired response is not being received in Hajj registration. Some more Hajj pilgrims can register on the last day. But this number is not worth mentioning. The government is concerned about the matter. In this situation, the owners of Hajj agencies have demanded another extension of time. However, there is no scope for further extension, said Religious Adviser Dr. A.F.M. Khalid Hossain.

He said that the last date for Hajj pilgrim registration has been given till December 26. The Saudi government is repeatedly asking us how many Hajj pilgrims we will send. But we are not able to tell because it is not over. Therefore, there is no opportunity to extend the time after December 26. Once the registration is over, we will be able to inform Saudi of the actual number. And according to this number, house rent, tent setting in Mina, etc. will have to be completed. We have already sent more than Tk. one crore to Saudi for these works.

The religious adviser further said, there is no lack of sincerity in making the Hajj management fair and beautiful. We are trying to provide the best service to the Hajj pilgrims in coordination with private agencies. Hopefully, we will be able to complete the next Hajj very beautifully.

Meanwhile, as Thursday is the last day of registration, the Ministry of Religion has written to Bangladesh Bank to keep all branches of banks involved in the holy Hajj activities open after office hours on December 26. This information was given in a notification from the Ministry of Religion on Tuesday (December 24) afternoon.

It said that the registration process for the 2025 Hajj will end on December 26. In order to deposit the registration money of the pilgrims, it is necessary to keep the branches of all the banks accepting Hajj money across the country open after office hours on that day.

In the above situation, it is requested to provide the necessary instructions to accept the Hajj registration money as long as the depositors are present after the office hours of the banks accepting Hajj money across the country on December 15.

It is to be noted that the primary registration for the 2025 Hajj started from September 1. The last date for registration was November 30. But due to the lack of desired response, the time was extended once. After that, the time was extended twice more.

The holy Hajj will be held on June 5 next year, subject to the sighting of the moon. This time, 127,198 people from Bangladesh will be able to perform Hajj. Of these, 10,198 will go through government management and the remaining 117,000 pilgrims will go through private management through Hajj agencies.

In the 2024 Hajj, 85,257 people went to Hajj against 127,198 people from Bangladesh. The quota of 41,941 people was vacant.

President Md. Sahabuddin has called for further strengthening the bond of communal harmony to establish a non-discrimination, corruption-free and justice-based state.

He said this in his greetings to Christian leaders and countrymen at a reception and greeting exchange program organized by the President on Christmas, the biggest religious festival of the Christian community, at Bangabhaban on Wednesday (December 25).

Stating that the main theme of all religions is service and welfare of the people, the President called on everyone, regardless of religion or caste, to work for the welfare of the country and the people.

He said, Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony. In this country, people of all religions have been practicing their respective religions and rituals freely and in a joyful atmosphere since time immemorial.

President Sahabuddin extended his heartfelt greetings and warm congratulations to the people of the world, including the followers of the Christian faith in the country. He said that Jesus Christ was a seeker of truth and a guide to light. He called the lost people to the path of truth and justice.

The Head of State said that Jesus Christ always taught people to love, serves, forgive, establish justice, and live in peace. He also commented that if the teachings of Jesus Christ are reflected in everyone's lives, the path to establishing peace in society will be smooth.

The Head of State said that he would advise his devotees to do what is good in the eyes of all people, without doing evil to anyone in return for evil.

In the current world context, he believes that the teachings and ideals of Jesus Christ can make a fruitful contribution to establishing peace in a war-torn world, including establishing harmony and unity among different ethnic groups.

He hopes that a modern and developed Bangladesh will be built through the efforts of everyone, regardless of race, religion, and color, and that the world will move forward on the path of peace, welfare, and light.

The President cut a cake to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. He exchanged greetings with Christian religious leaders. During this time, he participated in a photo session.

The President's wife Dr. Rebecca Sultana, Religious Adviser to the Interim Government AFM Khalid Hossain, Archbishop Vijay N. D'Cruz, Ambassador to Vatican City Kevin S. Randell, President of Bangladesh Christian Association Nirmal Rosario, Father Albert Rosario and Reverend Martha Das, concerned secretaries, representatives of various diplomatic missions, prominent figures of the Christian community and religious leaders were present at the reception.

The first shipment of 24,690 metric tons of parboiled rice imported from India by the interim government will arrive on Thursday (December 26).

This information was given in a press release of the Food Ministry on Wednesday (December 25).

It is said that a ship named MV Tanish Dream carrying 24,690 metric tons of parboiled rice imported from India under the open tender agreement will arrive at the Chittagong port at around 5:30 am on Thursday. This is the first shipment of parboiled rice imported from India during the tenure of the interim government.

This is the first shipment of parboiled rice imported from India under agreement number 381 on November 11.

The work of unloading the rice will begin soon after collecting samples of the rice kept on the ship and conducting physical tests. Necessary measures have been taken for this.

Ship's master Golam Kibria did not pay any salary allowance for 8 months. He even misbehaved with his companions. Out of anger, Akash Mandal Irfan hacked ship's master Golam Kibria to death with a Chinese axe. Seeing this incident, he killed everyone later.

Major Shakib Hossain, deputy commander of RAB 11 CPC 2, said this at a press briefing at the Shaktala RAB office in Cumilla city on Wednesday (December 25) morning.

Major Shakib said that Akash confessed during the initial interrogation. He said that ship's master Golam Kibria's misbehavior, irregularities in salary and bonus, and negligence towards employees made him angry. From this, Akash planned to take revenge.

He also said that Irfan went to a market in Pabna on December 18 to market the for ship. From there, he bought 3 sleeping pills. Later, on the night of December 22, the day of the incident, Akash mixed sleeping pills with curry and made everyone unconscious. At around 3:30 am, he killed the master with a Chinese axe while wearing gloves. Later, fearing that others might find out, he killed six people one by one. The axe was kept for the safety of the ship.

According to Akash's confession, after the murder, he himself sailed the ship and reached Majhirchar. The next morning, he escaped by trawler and hid in Chitalmari, Bagerhat.

RAB further said that blood-stained jeans, mobile phone, empty sleeping pills and other evidence were recovered from Akash. An investigation is underway against him. It is being investigated whether there was any other accomplice behind the murder.

Earlier, RAB arrested Akash Mandal from Chitalmari, Bagerhat on the night of Tuesday (December 24).

That night, the ship owner Mahbub Morshed filed a case with the Haimchar police station in the district for the murder of 7 people.

The plaintiff in the case, Mahbub Morshed, mentioned in his statement that the injured Jewel could not give a detailed description of the robbers as he was unable to speak due to a bloody cut to his throat. He indicated that he would recognize the robbers when he recovered. However, he wrote that there were 9 people with Jewel. The name of the 9th person was Irfan. However, he could not give his address.

The plaintiff mentioned the names of the injured and murdered people in the statement of the 7 people on the ship. The victims of the murder are - ship's master Golam Kibria, engine driver Salauddin, Sukani Aminul Munshi, greasers Azizul and Majedul, Rana Kazi and Laskar Sabuj Sheikh. Their homes are in Narail and Faridpur districts. In addition, the injured person is - Sukani Md. Jewel (28). He is the son of Sekandar Prakash Second Khalasi of Durgapur village in Faridpur Sadar upazila.

Incidentally, the bodies of five people and three others with serious injuries were recovered from a ship anchored in the Majhirchar area on the banks of the Meghna River, west of Harina Ferry Ghat in Chandpur, on Monday (December 23) at around 3 pm. Two of them later died in the hospital.