The Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (Haab) leaders urged the government to reduce the Moallem (guide) fee to Tk 30,000 instead of Tk 1.20 lakh as fixed earlier for each pilgrim for the next year hajj.
Haab president Mohammad Ibrahim Bahar placed the demand at a press conference at a hotel in Dhaka.
The association came up with the demand seven days after the government fixed two hajj packages for the pilgrims and fixed Tk 1.20 lakh as charge for each Moallem under private management.
They also urged the government to give a second chance to those private agencies for which pilgrims could not perform hajj last year.
Over 400 pilgrims could not travel to Saudi Arabia at the fault of the agencies last year, the Haab president said.
“We also demand for allowing all Middle East-based airlines to carry hajj pilgrims for their smooth journey,” the president said.
The hajj pilgrims would have to complete online registration between January 21 and February 5, 2015 by depositing the amount of money.
The cabinet on December 8 approved the next year’s hajj packages.