Makkah: The airport authorities in Saudi Arabia’s commercial hub Jeddah has found two Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims who reached there without any visas on 27 July. Saudi authorities kept them at the airport terminal for about 16 hours and later freed them after managing their visas.

Bangladesh hajj mission’s Jeddah airport official Anwar Hossain on Sunday said hajj pilgrim, Nasima Akhter, reached Jeddah Hajj Terminal in a flight of Shaban Air International without any visa on 27 July. Another pilgrim, named Aminul Haque, also the owner of Amin Tourist and Travel International, reached there without travel permit by a Saudi Airlines’ flight on the same day.

Anwar Hossain added, Saudi Immigration police found them visiting the country for hajj without any entry permits.

The hajj official sent a letter to the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Bangladesh, where he stated that, two pilgrims had to stay at the airport’s hajj terminal for 16 hours as they travelled without visas. However, they left the terminal after the Saudi authorities managed their visas.

Anwar Hossain in his letter mentioned, the Jeddah Hajj Terminal Immigration authorities condemned how two hajj pilgrims could enter into the aircraft without having visas.

He said it was a matter of embarrassment for the hajj office in Jeddah and it was also against the well-organized hajj management of Bangladesh.

However, Mohammad Abdul Jalil, a secretary to the Ministry of religious affairs ordered to probe the issue, how the hajj pilgrims could traversed the immigration without visas.