Money that belonged to pilgrims comes home: Bangladesh recovers Tk 10.23 crore (about $840,000) from Saudi Arabia

It was the pilgrims' money, and now it is on its way back to them. Bangladesh's Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad announced on 1 November that the government has recovered Tk 10.23 crore (about $840,000) — 3,091,243 Saudi riyals held against medical expenses for 340 Bangladeshi pilgrims during the 2026 Hajj — deposited into the Bangladesh Hajj Office's system in Jeddah on 29 October. Separately, Tk 4.87 crore (about $400,000) in surplus funds has been refunded directly to the bank accounts of 4,341 pilgrims, and the airfare for the 2027 Hajj has been cut by Tk 24,830.

SDG 16 · Peace, justice and strong institutions — Mechanism: policy reform