The first Haj flight from India arrived in Madinah on Wednesday.

Air India flight AI 5001 transported 235 pilgrims from Kolkata to Prince Mohammed International Airport. More than 136,000 Indians are slated to perform Haj this year.

Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao, Consul-General B.S. Mubarak, Deputy Consul General Md Noor Rahman Sheikh and other officials were at the airport to receive the pilgrims.

Saudi officials from the Haj Ministry, General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and airport authorities were also present.
The pilgrims are putting up at the Mukhtara hotel near the Prophet’s Mosque.

Meanwhile, the first group of 420 Bangladeshi pilgrims arrived at Jeddah airport on Wednesday.

They were were received by Abdullah Marghalani, deputy minister and director-general of Haj at the Haj’s Ministry Jeddah office, together with Maj. General Mohammad Barawi, chairman of the General Syndicate of Cars, Rafat Badar, chairman of the South Asian Haj Establishment, and Khaled Mokthar, transport director at the Haj terminal.

Bangladesh Ambassador Mohammed Shahidul Islam, Consul General A.K.M. Shahidul Karim and Haj Consul Mohammed Asaduzzaman greeted the pilgrims on arrival.

Marghalani presented praying mats and rosaries to the pilgrims, while Ambassador Islam wished pilgrims a happy and safe Haj. He expressed gratitude to the Saudi government for managing the mass gathering every year.

Ambassador Islam praised the directives provided by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense.

Islam said Bangladesh pilgrims will be ferried this year by Biman and Saudi Arabian Airlines.

“There will be a total of around 136 flights which will be shared by the two airlines,” he added.

A medical team comprising 200 medics and paramedics has already arrived to assist the Bangladesh pilgrims. The team arrived here with the administrative delegation. Its members will man the country’s clinics in Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah and the Haj terminal.
Dhaka this year is planning to send nearly 99,000 pilgrims.

SOURCE: ARABNEWS.COM