The Hajj quota given to Bangladesh has not been fulfilled again. The number of pilgrims is fewer than last time. With this, Bangladesh has failed to fulfill the quota of 127,198 people received from Saudi Arabia for three consecutive years though the cost of Hajj was reduced significantly this time.

The initial registration period for Hajj 2025 ended on Thursday (December 26). However, the latest information says that 83,587 people have completed the initial registration for the next Hajj, against 127,198 people, which is 1,670 less than the final registration last time. This number may decrease further in the final registration.

According to the Hajj portal, out of the 83,587 people who have completed the initial registration for this year's Hajj, 4,980 have chosen the government channel. The remaining 78,547 want to go to Hajj through private channels. The government has asked those who have completed the initial registration to complete the final registration by January 15.

On Friday (December 27), Deputy Secretary of the Hajj Department, Mamun Al Farooq, told the media that the pre-Hajj, initial registration period for 2025 is no longer being extended. We will soon have to send the quota (list of registrants) to the Saudi government.

This time, the price of the government-managed package has been reduced by reducing the airfare by about 27 thousand taka. However, the food cost has not been included in the Hajj package. Officially, the minimum cost of Package-1 has been set at 4 lakh 78 thousand 242 taka. And those who take the general package-2 will have to pay the minimum cost of 5 lakh 75 thousand 680 taka. Along with this, another 40 thousand taka for food and 750 Saudi riyals for the sacrifice will also have to be counted. Accordingly, the cost of the Hajj package has not changed much from before.

Meanwhile, several private Hajj agency owners told Barta24.com that about 10 percent of Hajj pilgrims could not complete their registration process till Thursday as all banks were closed on December 25 for the Christmas holiday and many pilgrims did not receive their passports on time. At this time, they demanded that the Hajj registration period be extended by a few more days if possible. It is to be noted that the holy Hajj may be held on June 5, subject to the sighting of the moon.

Dhaka: 'Sheikh Hasina has committed as many misdeeds inside as she can, despite the progress Bangladesh has shown with some infrastructure in the last 16 years,' said Sarjis Alam, chief organizer of the National Citizens Committee and general secretary of the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation.

He said this at a view-sharing meeting of the National Citizens Committee at the Panchagarh Government Auditorium Hall Room on Friday (December 27) afternoon.

Sarjis Alam said that Sheikh Hasina has made the Metrorail, Padma Bridge, Expressway, Karnaphuli Tunnel visible in the last 16 years. But the development of a country cannot be achieved by improving just a few infrastructures. Only one tram or the government is enough to build a few such infrastructures. But the things that have been done in the last 3 to 4 terms are being put in front of the eyes of the people in these infrastructures so that they can see them. And keeping these in front, as many misdeeds inside as they can be done have been done. The problem now is that when someone runs an empire of loot and destruction by using such an important infrastructure, it is a problem for the country in the larger interest.

Regarding the main purpose of the National Citizens Committee's exchange of views, Sarjis further said, the National Citizens Committee has taken responsibility from the anti-discrimination student movement. And the anti-discrimination student movement and the National Citizens Committee are not political platforms, nor will they be in the future. No matter which government comes in the future of Bangladesh, the National Citizens Committee will work as a pressure group to create accountability. And it will work to create leadership in the future of Bangladesh.

In the last 16 years, Sheikh Hasina has destroyed leadership while establishing dictatorship. And in this, no leader has been created in Bangladesh in the last 16 years. Sheikh Hasina's slaves and brokers have been created. Or some silent spectators like us. Who have silently endured everything? I think that to build the future of Bangladesh, leadership needs to be created. This leadership will not only be political leadership, we need leaders in every field. And our National Citizens Committee will do the work of creating these leaders. He also said that this platform will work as a pressure group that will work for the future of Bangladesh.

Dhaka: The Bangladesh Army has 'revised' the dismissal order of Brigadier General Abdullahil Aman Azmi and instead given him 'premature (compulsory) retirement'.

This 'premature (compulsory) retirement' has been made effective from June 24, 2009. The order in this regard was issued on December 24.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced this in a press release on Friday (December 27).

It said that Brigadier General Abdullahil Aman Azmi has been given 'premature (compulsory) retirement' with all applicable financial and other benefits from June 24, 2009.

At the same time, the notification of dismissal of the officer issued by the Ministry of Defense on June 23, 2009 has been cancelled.

When the Awami League came to power in 2008, Brigadier General Abdullahil Aman Azmi, son of former Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Professor Ghulam Azam, was dismissed from the army. He was then abducted in 2016. Azmi was released from the secret detention center 'Ainaghar' on the night of August 6 after a long 8 years when the Sheikh Hasina government was toppled in the student-public uprising in July-August. Early that morning, some masked men took him out of a car in the Ghatail area of Tangail. He later returned to his family.

Dhaka: Sheikh Hasina will be brought to justice for every journalist killed, said the Chief Adviser's Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam.

He said this at a program organized by the Bangladesh Free Press Initiative at the National Press Club on Friday (December 27) afternoon.

He said that journalism will be fair and independent in Bangladesh in the future. Everyone will have to work so that no new fascists are created.

Commenting on the role of journalists in creating people like Hasina, the Press Secretary further said that journalists have supported many of Hasina's misdeeds, as a result of which she has become a mother of disappearances.

Criticizing the media owners at this time, the Chief Adviser's Press Secretary said that many have been killed due to lack of safety. No matter where they are, a basic standard salary should be paid. He also strongly criticized the media owners who gave cards instead of paying salaries.

Relatives of journalists killed in the July Revolution were also present at the time.