PM for resisting misinterpretation of Islam, cherishing its essence

“Let us all hold the message of Islam in our hearts and eradicate darkness, illiteracy, discord, violence, terrorism and militancy from the society; resist the evil force which are making misinterpretation of Islam,” she said.

The Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh hosted the national-level Hajj and Umrah Management Conference-2022 and the opening ceremony of the Hajj and Umrah expo at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC). The prime made this demand during his speech (HAAB).

She practically attended the event from her official palace, Ganabhaban. Sheikh Hasina claimed that as the nation’s successor, her government is working tirelessly to uphold the spirit of Islam and to promote the welfare of the populace. Sheikh Hasina credited Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with doing much for Islam in the nation. She claimed that while Islam is the best religion in the world, a small number of militants do occasionally bring it into disrepute.

“We’ve adopted zero tolerance policy towards militancy to uphold the peaceful glory of holy Islam by keeping the country free from militancy,” she said.

She added that a council made up of Islamic scholars from every field had been established so that no children would become involved in militancy or drug use. The prime minister continued by saying that training is being given to imams in order to involve religious leaders in the development of human resources. The event’s goals include giving pilgrims accurate information about the hajj, educating them about modern technology-based hajj management, permitting direct communication with Hajj authorities, and lessening the impact of middlemen and con artists.

In the conference, there would be two sessions on “e-Hajj Management and Route to Makkah Initiatives” and “Hajj and Umrah Management: Achievements and Actions needed.” The three-day Hajj and Umrah fair is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and features 150 booths and pavilions set up by various Hajj agencies, financial institutions, and the relevant authorities. Bangladesh is the fourth-largest nation in the world sending pilgrims to Mecca. More than 90% of Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims and 100% of Bangladeshi umrah pilgrims travel under private management to Saudi Arabia.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md. Mahbub Ali, State Minister for Religious Affairs Md. Faridul Haque Khan, its Secretary Kazi Enamul Hassan, Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Issa bin Youssef Al-Dahilan and HAAB President M Shahadat Hossain Taslim also spoke at the inaugural ceremony.  About the mismanagement of hajj agents, the prime minister said if any agency cheats or harasses pilgrims, various administrative measures are taken against that agency.

She said, “Those, who will harass the guests of Allah’s House in the coming days, will have to face severe punishment. It’ll have to be remembered.” The premier said her government formulated the Hajj and Umrah Management Act, 2021 and Hajj and Umrah Management Rules, 2022. As a result, complaints of mismanagement, irregularities and misconduct in Hajj management have been remedied, she added.

She asked the Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims to know and abide by all local rules and laws in Saudi Arabia to uphold the appreciation Bangladesh achieved from Saudi Arabia in case of hajj management. Focusing on her government’s success to improve Hajj management, the prime minister said she had brought many developments in hajj management during her first regime from 1996 to 2001 but the hajj management got worse again when Awami League was out of power for eight years after 2001.

“But now we’ve been able to bring world-class improvements in the hajj management as we are in power for a long time since 2009 by the grace of Allah,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said e-hajj management is being run in every sector including pre-registration and registration of pilgrims, creation of e-health profile, e-ticketing, transportation of pilgrims, housing management in Makkah and Medina, and healthcare. She said her government set up a separate hajj office in Jeddah in 2009 and appointed a counselor (hajj) and a consular general (hajj) there.

“Every service including visa, passport, housing, medical facilities, travelling to Saudi Arabia and return from the Hajj were made easier for the hajj pilgrims,” she said, adding that her government dedicates three airlines including Biman Bangladesh to hajj pilgrims.

She claimed that as a result of her government’s actions, the immigration process for hajj pilgrims would be finished in Dhaka. Therefore, she continued, Bangladeshi pilgrims would no longer have to wait around for the immigration procedure in Jeddah. The prime minister claimed that since she first did the hajj in 1985 at the king of Saudi Arabia’s invitation, she had discovered numerous inconsistencies in the management of the hajj (for Bangladeshi pilgrims) and had therefore taken the necessary measures.

“I saw such a messy situation with my own eyes. So, when I formed the government, my efforts were to remove the problems of pilgrims,” she said.