Year-round online registration for Hajj being mulled: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government is planning to conduct online registration of people planning to perform Hajj to simply the process.

"From the registrations, the Hajj pilgrims could easily be sent to Saudi Arabia through lotteries," she said, and added that due legal steps would be taken against any individual or agency that would cheat pilgrims.

The prime minister was addressing the inauguration of Hajj Programme 2015 held at city's Ashkona Hajj Camp. The holy Hajj is likely to be performed this year on September 24 subject to moon sighting.

"If the registration of interested Hajj pilgrims goes on throughout the year and the Saudi government fixes which number of pilgrims we will be able to send, then we could make arrangements for sending the pilgrims through lotteries. More importantly, this will be comfortable for pilgrims," she said.

Mentioning that her government and party had never indulged in politics with religion and never wants to do so, the prime minister said her government has been working tirelessly so that the living standard of common people is improved following religious values.

She mentioned that religion used to create terrorism and militancy in the country in the past and thus confused the youth. "But, we do not want the youth to be on the wrong path, we want to groom them up with religious values and the essence of Islam," she said.

Terming Islam as a religion of peace, Hasina renewed her vow to establish Bangladesh as a peaceful country in South Asia.

Noting that there is no place for terrorism, militancy and women repression in Islam since it is a religion of peace, the prime minister said despite that those incidents often take place.

She said her government has launched a training programme for associating religious leaders in tackling terrorism and militancy and controlling women repression.

As a result of the government's success, the number of Hajj pilgrims has now climbed to 1,01,758 this year from 48,763 in 2008.

Hasina said her government has restored discipline in Hajj management as well as ensured highest services for the pilgrims, developed infrastructure and increased manpower in the Hajj-related activities.