Licences of 4 Hajj agencies cancelled, 36 fined: State minister

The government has cancelled the licences of four Hajj agencies and fined 36 agencies Tk43 lakh, State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan told the Parliament on Wednesday (26 January).

Replying to a question from Noakhali-3 MP Mamunur Rashid Kiran, the state minister said no Hajj agency has been blacklisted by the Ministry of Religious Affairs in the last five years since there is no provision for it in the National Hajj and Umrah Policy. 

"However, according to the National Hajj and Umrah Policy, the licences of four Hajj agencies have been cancelled due to irregularities during 2019 Hajj. Besides, 36 Hajj agencies have been fined a total of Tk43 lakh," the state minister said.

It depends on the bilateral agreement on Hajj between the governments of Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia whether Bangladesh can take part in this year's Hajj, the minister added. 

He also informed the Parliament about the ongoing model mosque construction updates. 

"The roofing work of the 3rd floor of the model mosque in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur district has been completed under the construction project of 560 model mosques in each district and upazila with full government funding. Finishing work is currently underway," he said.