Staff Reporter:
Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain (Kaikobad) yesterday said Tk 4.87 crore in unspent funds will be returned to 4,341 pilgrims who performed the holy Hajj under government management this year.
“The decision has been taken to return the unspent amount after expenses incurred in various sec-tors in Saudi Arabia have been settled,” he told a press conference at the Secretariat here.
The minister said the money is being returned as part of the government’s efforts to ensure trans-parency and accountability in Hajj management.
He said the money collected from Hajj pilgrims was treated as a deposit and proper accounts were maintained.
“If any money remains unspent after the stipulated expenses have been met, it will be returned to the Hajj pilgrims instead of being kept in the government treasury. This will make the govern-ment’s commitment to transparency in Hajj management more evident,” he said.
“Transparency and accountability will be ensured in Hajj management in the future as well,” he said.
State Minister for Religious Affairs Mohammad Shamim Kaiser, among others, was present at the press conference.
