The first return Hajj flight carrying 419 Bangladeshi pilgrims arrived in the country on Saturday after the completion of this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.

The flight landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 10:30 am on Saturday (30 May).

The inaugural return flight departed from King Abdulaziz International Airport at 12:10 am local time. The repatriation of pilgrims officially began with Saudia flight SV-5806.

A total of 5,434 pilgrims are scheduled to return to Bangladesh on 13 flights on the first day of the return operation. Senior officials from the airport and the Ministry of Religious Affairs were present to welcome the pilgrims upon their arrival.

After landing, each returning pilgrim was provided with five litres of Zamzam water.

Earlier, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated this year’s Hajj flight operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on the night of 17 April. The last flight carrying Bangladeshi pilgrims to Saudi Arabia arrived there on 21 May.