Staff Reporter:
Minister for Religious Affairs Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain (Kaikobad) yesterday informed the Jatiya Sangsad that the government has taken a series of effective measures to reduce Hajj expenses and ensure safe travel, healthcare, immigration, and pre-departure services for pilgrims during the current Hajj sea-son.
Responding to a scripted question from NCP lawmaker Abdul Hannan Masud (Noakhali-6) in the House yesterday, the minister said coordinated initiatives have been implemented to facilitate smooth move-ment of Hajj pilgrims from the Hajj camp to the airport.
He said a ‘dedicated traffic route’ has been introduced in coordination with Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and traffic authorities to ensure uninterrupted movement of pilgrims, as construction of an un-derpass in front of the Hajj camp is ongoing.
Under the plan, he said pilgrims and their relatives, along with officials involved in Hajj operations, will access the Hajj camp via a newly constructed road passing through Kawla Rail Gate and the Civil Avia-tion community centre, entering through the eastern stockyard area.
“After completing formalities, vehicles will exit via the airport rail gate onto the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway,” he said.
The Minister said transport buses carrying pilgrims to aircraft will proceed from the airport roundabout towards Uttara and enter the airport through the cargo terminal road.
To ensure medical support, a well-equipped medical centre will operate round-the-clock inside the Hajj camp with assistance from the Directorate General of Health Services.
He said the centre will be staffed by 19 doctors (10 male and 9 female), 12 sub-assistant community medical officers, 14 senior staff nurses and four sanitary inspectors. “An ambulance will remain on standby for emergency cases,” he said.
