Religious ministry ‘incompetent’, Hajj package ‘inhuman’: HC

The High Court has described the Ministry of Religious Affairs as “incompetent” and this year’s Hajj package as “inhuman” as its cost is too high.

“The Ministry of Religious Affairs is an incompetent ministry. The package fixed for this year’s Hajj is inhuman,” said the HC bench comprising Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Mohammad Ali during the hearing of a writ petition on Tuesday (March 14, 2023).

Those who are involved in fixing this costly Hajj package will become sharers of the sin, it said, adding that there are many countries in the world which allocate seperate budgets for Hajj pilgrims though it doesn’t exist in Bangladesh.

The writ petition was filed challenging the fixing of Tk 6.83 lakh by the government as the Hajj package per pilgrim this year.

The HC bench also asked the attorney general’s office to get informed about the position of the Ministry of Religious Affairs regarding the fixing of the Hajj package and place the information before the bench on Wednesday.

The HC bench fixed Wednesday for hearing of the petition.

Advocate Ashraf-Uz-Zaman, also chief coordinator of Al-Quran Study Centre, filed the writ petition as a public interest litigation with the High Court, seeking a directive for the government to reduce and re-fix this year’s Hajj cost.

Advocate Gazi Md Mohsin appeared for the writ petitioner.