Staff Reporter:
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam yesterday sought Saudi Arabia’s support in reduc-ing taxes and charges on Hajj air travel to lower the overall cost of pilgrimage for Bangladeshi pilgrims.
The request came when Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr. Abdullah ibn Dhafer ibn Ubayya paid a courtesy call on the minister at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M. Rashiduzzaman Millat was present.
During the meeting, the minister stressed the importance of making Hajj more affordable for Bangla-deshi pilgrims by reducing the taxes and charges imposed by the Saudi authorities on Hajj air travel.
She said a reduction in such taxes and charges would significantly benefit thousands of Bangladeshi pil-grims every year.
In response, the Saudi envoy assured that the matter would receive positive consideration and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to extending all possible cooperation in this regard.
The meeting also reaffirmed the longstanding friendly and fraternal relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, with both sides holding fruitful discussions on expanding cooperation in the fields of civil aviation, tourism and Hajj management.
State Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat highlighted the increased accommodation costs faced by Bang-ladeshi pilgrims following the discontinuation of Category D accommodation in Saudi Arabia.
He said the absence of the category has substantially increased accommodation expenses for Bangladeshi pilgrims and requested the Saudi authorities to consider reinstating Category D accommodation to help reduce overall pilgrimage costs.
The Saudi Ambassador reiterated his government’s commitment to enhancing the quality of services pro-vided to Bangladeshi pilgrims while making Hajj more affordable.
He assured providing Saudi Arabia’s full support in pursuing initiatives aimed at improving services and reducing costs for Bangladeshi pilgrims.
Both sides expressed their shared commitment to further strengthening the excellent bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia and expanding cooperation in civil aviation, tourism and Hajj management for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
