Sangsad Bhaban– State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan on Sunday said a total of 1.27 lakh Bangladeshis will be able to perform hajj this year.

“The quota for hajj pilgrims from Bangladesh this year is 1, 27, 198,” he said in reply to a tabled question from ruling Awami League MP elected from Chattogram M Abdul Latif.

In a scripted answer, the state minister said the quota for hajj pilgrims for Bangladesh was 58,628 in 2009, which was increased to around 1.27 lakh in 2019.

He also said due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the quota for Bangladeshis was deceased to 60,146 pilgrims in 2022 like other countries in the world.

Faridul Haque Khan said overall the quota for hajj pilgrims has increased by 148% from 2009 to 2023 which is a big milestone of the success of the current government.