He speculated that the Saudi government may have temporarily halted the visa issuance due to the overwhelming pressure of handling large numbers of pilgrims during Ramadan.
Farid Ahmed, secretary general of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), echoed these concerns, stating that while discussions with the Ministry of Religion are ongoing, the issue of the halted visas remains unresolved.
"We heard that a letter has been sent to the Saudi ambassador from the Ministry of Religion, and we are waiting to see what decision is made," he added.
However, he reassured that those who had deposited advance payments would receive refunds.
AKM Aftab Hossain Pramanik, secretary of the Religious Affairs Ministry, said that there is no formal agreement between the two countries for Umrah, unlike Hajj. However, efforts are still being made to contact the Saudi government to solve the issue.
He also assured that those who have deposited money with various agencies for Umrah tickets should receive refunds.
“If anyone lodges a complaint regarding this, arrangements will be made,” he added.
The issue has affected the daily transport of 1,000 to 1,200 Umrah passengers, as flights are unable to operate as planned.
Passengers who had made deposits for Umrah travel are urged to report any issues, as arrangements are being made for refunds.
The uncertainty surrounding the Umrah visa situation has left many Bangladeshi travelers in limbo, with hopes that the issue will be resolved soon.
However, there is still an opportunity for Umrah passengers to travel until April 15.