Staff Reporter:
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said united effort and work of Muslim countries could bring better and dignified position for the Muslim community in the world along with reducing misery of the Palestinians.
“If all the Muslim countries work together making an alliance, it would have been easier to attain better position for all the Muslims including reducing misery of the Palestinians,” she said.
The premier said this yesterday while was inaugurating the Hajj Program 2024 at the Hajj Camp in city’s Ashkuna area.
“We could have further advanced if Muslim countries of the world worked unitedly,” she said as she mentioned herself “the only sister” (head of government) among the OIC member countries.
Sheikh Hasina said, “I told the head of states and governments that I am the only sister. I am asking eve-ryone to reach a consensus and speak up so this kind of unfair injustice doesn’t happen to us again.”
Highlighting the miseries of the Muslims in Palestine, she said genocide is being carried out there where no children, women or men were spared.
“But, I am protesting it wherever I get a chance. . . .Palestine will get more land in Gaza. It is their right. No one can take away this right. So, that right should be given to them,” she said.
The premier also urged the Hajj pilgrims to pray for them.
Describing Islam as a religion of peace, Sheikh Hasina called for not doing anything that goes against the religious sentiment.
“No one should do anything – like engaging in alcohol addiction, gambling, corruption, terrorism and militancy — that hurts our religious sentiment,” she said.
She also said Islam is a sacred religion that ensured the rights of the people of all classes.
“It is very unfortunate that a quarter of people earn a bad name for Islam by militancy. I always protest it,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina said the people of all religions would continuously enjoy equal rights to follow their re-spective religious rituals in the country.
She also asked the Hajj pilgrims to pray for Bangladesh and its people while performing the holy hajj, saying, “Pray for Bangladesh, pray for the people of Bangladesh, and also pray for the Muslim Ummah all over the world.”
Referring to the implementation of e-Hajj management, the premier said, “We have made Digital Bang-ladesh. Our future goal is to build a ‘smart Bangladesh'”.
“After making Smart Bangladesh, no one have to suffer with anything. Just get on the plane and leave (for destination) by doing all the work at home. We are doing that kind of arrangement,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina said they take measures to improve Hajj management every time and the Saudi govern-ment is always supporting to Bangladesh in this work.
She extended her thanks to the Saudi government, especially the king and the prime minister, because they have always solved the problems on Hajj.
The prime minister said her government is constructing a model mosque in every upazila where training will be given to Hajjis and their service providers about Hajj and service.
In addition, all information about Hajj, its registration and other management will be made available in these mosques, she said.
“So there will not be much need to stay in Hajj camp. You can do everything at home. Everything will become easier. We are making that arrangement,” she added.
The premier also exchanged greetings with the (Hajji) Hajj pilgrims after opening the Hajj programme.
The hajj flight carrying Bangladeshi pilgrims will start from Dhaka today.
The first hajj flight (BG-3301) is scheduled to leave Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 7:20am for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, carrying 419 pilgrims.
With Religious Affairs Minister Md. Faridul Haque Khan in the chair, Secretary of the Ministry Md A Hamid Zamadder delivered the welcome address at the Hajj programme opening function.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan, Dha-ka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Religious Affairs Mohammad Huchamuddin Chowdhury, Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Youssef Essa Al Duhailan, and Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) Pres-ident M Shahadat Hossain Taslim also spoke.
Two pilgrims, as well, expressed their feelings and satisfaction over the Hajj management, and lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for digitization of Hajj activities.
An audio-visual documentary on Hajj activities was screened on the ceremony.
Bangladesh is the fourth largest pilgrims sending country in the world. As per the arrangement, Bangla-deshi pilgrims will complete immigration process of the two countries (Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia) in Dhaka which will help them escape immigration process in Jeddah.
Under Road-to-Makkah initiative, hajj pilgrims will get luggage services, meaning the luggage will be sent to the pilgrims’ hotel or their other accommodation in Makkah and Madinah.
According to the flight schedule, the national flag carrier will operate 117 pre-hajj flights between May 9 and June 10 to carry a total of 45,525 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia while Saudi Arabian airlines Flynas will operate 43 pre-hajj flights between May and June 12 to carry rest of the pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines is scheduled to start operating return hajj flight on June 20 from Saudi Ara-bia to Bangladesh while flying of post-hajj flight between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh will start on June 21.
