DHAKA: The Bangladeshi government will reduce the cost of Hajj packages in 2026, authorities said on Monday, following three consecutive years of failing to fill its allocated pilgrimage quota.
Bangladesh, one of the most populous Muslim-majority countries, has been granted by Saudi Arabia a quota of over 127,000 pilgrims, but since 2023 has been struggling to meet it.
In 2024, only 85,000 Bangladeshi pilgrims were able to embark on the spiritual journey that is one of the five pillars of Islam, because of high inflation and flight fares to the Middle East.
In 2025, the number increased by only 2,000, despite major price reductions to Hajj packages, up to 20 percent in some cases.
With last year’s reduction in place, for 2026 the government is cutting the price by another $100, hopeful there will not be a repeat of the previous situation.
