Another 3,700 Hajj pilgrims flying home on Wednesday

Another 3,778 pilgrims are returning to Bangladesh aboard 10 flights after completing their Hajj on Wednesday.

Four of the flights have already reached Dhaka, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs Hajj Portal. Two of the flights were operated by Flynas Airlines, and one others by Saudia Airlines and Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

On Tuesday, the first day of Hajj returns, 12 flights carrying 4,904 pilgrims arrived back in Bangladesh. The return flights are scheduled to end on Jul 10.

This year, 224 flights carried 86,958 Bangladeshis to Saudi Arabia for the Islamic pilgrimage. The flights ran from Apr 29 to Jun 1. A total of 222 flights have been scheduled for Hajj returns.

According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, 22 Bangladeshi pilgrims have died during the pilgrimage -- 14 died in Makkah, seven in Madinah, and one in Arafat. Among them, 20 are men and two are women.

Another 21 pilgrims were hospitalised in Saudi government hospitals after falling ill.