As of early Tuesday morning (May 20), 51,947 Bangladeshi pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, according to the latest Hajj Bulletin released on Wednesday (May 21). These pilgrims traveled on a total of 133 flights, with 4,583 under government management and 47,364 under private management.
The IT Help Desk, citing data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Hajj Office in Dhaka, and Saudi counterparts, reported that:
- 25,602 pilgrims flew on 67 Biman Bangladesh Airlines flights
- 17,717 pilgrims arrived on 45 Saudi Airlines flights
- 8,628 pilgrims traveled via 21 Flynas Airlines flights
Tragically, 9 Bangladeshi pilgrims have passed away so far—4 in Mecca and 5 in Medina. Among them, eight were men and one was a woman.
The Hajj flight operations officially began on April 28, when Religious Affairs Advisor AFM Khalid Hossain inaugurated the 2025 Hajj season at the Ashkona Hajj Camp in Dhaka. The first flight departed at 2:20 AM on the same day, carrying over 400 pilgrims to Jeddah.
This year, 87,100 Bangladeshi pilgrims have registered for Hajj—5,200 under government management and 81,900 under private agencies. Three airlines—Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Saudia, and Flynas Airlines—are scheduled to operate a total of 232 pre-Hajj flights, with Biman handling the majority (118 flights for 44,307 pilgrims).
The holy Hajj is expected to take place on June 5, 2025 (1446 Hijri), subject to the moon sighting. Pre-Hajj flights will conclude on May 31, while return flights will commence on June 10 following the completion of Hajj rituals.
