First Hajj return flight carrying 377 pilgrims lands in Dhaka

The first return flight for Hajj pilgrims has arrived in Dhaka from Saudi Arabia.

The Saudia Airlines jet touched down at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:55am on Tuesday, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.

After completing the sacred rituals, 377 pilgrims had boarded the flight from Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport around 1:30am local time, the Ministry of Religious Affairs said in a statement.

As many as 4,904 pilgrims are expected to return to Bangladesh on 12 different flights. These include six flights operated by Flynas, five by Saudia, and one by Biman Bangladesh Airlines. The return flights will continue until Jul 10.

This year, a total of 86,958 Bangladeshi pilgrims travelled to Saudi Arabia for Hajj on 224 flights. They will return home on 222 flights.

Syed Golam Sarwar, president of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), expressed satisfaction with the overall management of this year's pilgrimage.

“Hajj was successfully completed this year. Pilgrims faced no significant issues in Mina, Muzdalifah, or Arafat. From food and accommodation to other arrangements, everything went smoothly," he said.

“From today [Tuesday], pilgrims are returning to Bangladesh. This year, the number of deaths [during Hajj] was lower than in previous years. There were no fatalities in Mina or Muzdalifah due to heat or accidents. Compared to previous years, this year's Hajj was much better. Pilgrims themselves expressed satisfaction, and we at HAAB are also pleased.”

The religious affairs ministry reports that 19 Bangladeshi pilgrims have died during Hajj so far this year -- 11 in Makkah, 7 in Madinah, and one in Arafat. Among them, 17 were men and two were women.