Hajj numbers slump as Umrah pilgrimage surges
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
Although the government reduced the plane fare, Bangladesh is seeing a fall in Hajj pilgrims, whereas the number of Umrah pilgrims has been steadily rising.
During the final period of the Awami League regime, the plane fare for Hajj pilgrims was around Tk 2 lakh, with the total expenditure ranging between Tk 5.5 lakh and Tk 7.5 lakh.
Although the interim government reduced the plane fare to Tk 1.65 lakh to slightly ease the financial burden, and the BNP government further slashed the fare by another Tk 35,000 to bring it down to Tk 1.3 lakh, Bangladesh is still failing to secure pilgrims in accordance with its designated quota.
On the other hand, performing Umrah costs about Tk 1.15 lakh, and even with special packages, the total expense does not exceed Tk 3 lakh. As a result, the number of Umrah pilgrims has been steadily rising.
According to the Saudi Arabian government, the deadline for the pre-registration of this year’s Hajj is 24 September, leaving only 20 days. However, as of Thursday, only 66,712 individuals have completed their pre-registration through both government and private channels, while only 1,910 prospective pilgrims have completed their final registration.
Bangladesh receives a Hajj quota of 1,27,000 people from Saudi Arabia annually. Over the past three years, the number of pilgrims travelling for Hajj has been significantly lower. In 2026, the figure stood at a mere 78,500, and sector insiders express deep concerns that the turnout of Hajj pilgrims could decline even further this year.
Ministry of Religious Affairs confirmed that the number of Umrah pilgrims is surging rapidly. Six years ago, an average of 50,000 people went to perform Umrah annually and now that figure has surpassed 5,00,000. Islamic experts have offered varying perspectives on this phenomenon.
They explained that the high costs of Hajj are discouraging pilgrims, while the more affordable nature of Umrah is drawing larger crowds. Nonetheless, they emphasized that Umrah can never be a substitute for Hajj.
According to Islamic law, Hajj is an obligatory (Fard) duty, whereas Umrah is voluntary (Nafl). Performing Umrah instead of Hajj does not fulfill one’s obligatory duties.
Mufti Muhammad Muhibbullahil Baqi Nadvi, the former pesh imam of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and director general (DG) of the Islamic Foundation (IFA), told Agamir Somoy, “Those on whom Hajj has become obligatory must perform Hajj first. After fulfilling the obligatory duty, they can perform Umrah if they wish. But performing Umrah instead of Hajj will not fulfill the obligatory duty.”
He said since Hajj is obligatory and Umrah is voluntary, a voluntary act can never serve as a replacement for an obligatory one. Many people in the country believe that visiting the House of Allah is enough. Because of this, the number of Umrah pilgrims may be increasing day by day while Hajj pilgrims are decreasing.
According to data released on 3 September by the Hajj Management Portal of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Saudi government has mandated that no new Hajj pre-registrations will be accepted after 24 September. Only those who pre-register will be permitted to complete their final registrations, with a deadline extending until 10 December.
Within this timeframe, only 3,618 people have pre-registered through the government channel, while 63,094 have registered through private agencies. Out of these, only 740 individuals have finalized their registrations governmentally, and 1,170 have done so privately - figures that are exceptionally low compared to previous years.
Religious Affairs Secretary Munshi Alauddin Al Azad told Agamir Somoy, “Although this number is not normal, the government has nothing to do. We are trying through various channels. But people are leaning towards Umrah. Previously, 50,000 people went for Umrah annually. Now over 5,00,000 are going every year. However, we are hopeful that the registration numbers will reach the desired level at the last moment.”
Data from the Ministry of Religious Affairs indicates a persistent year-on-year decline in Hajj attendance. In 2019, 1,27,152 pilgrims from Bangladesh performed the pilgrimage. Due to the COVID-19, no Bangladeshi pilgrims could travel for Hajj in 2020 and 2021. When the pilgrimage resumed on a limited scale in 2022, 60,146 people participated. This was followed by 1,22,558 pilgrims in 2023, 85,258 in 2024, 86,981 in 2025, and 78,500 in 2026.
A report from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) of Saudi Arabia reveals that during the first three months of this year, more than 1.52 crore people performed the Umrah in Saudi Arabia.
Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) Secretary General Farid Ahmed Mojumder told Agamir Somoy, “We are indeed worried about the matter. The cost of Hajj has decreased compared to the last few years. Despite this, the number of Hajj pilgrims is not increasing. People are performing Umrah like an overflowing flood.
“Yet, Hajj is obligatory while Umrah is voluntary. Umrah pilgrims believe that visiting the House of Allah is enough. This is not correct. We are trying to clear up this misconception among people.”
