Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said the government will make all possible efforts to lower or rationalise the Hajj package prices for 2027 as part of its plan to develop an affordable Hajj system.

“The government has a plan to reduce the cost of Hajj in the future. In our election manifesto it has been pledged to develop an affordable, accessible, humane and expatriate-friendly Hajj system for religious citizens. State and diplomatic initiatives will be taken to reduce the cost of performing Hajj,” he said.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while replying to a starred question from opposition lawmaker Salah Uddin (Gazipur-4) in Parliament.

He said Hajj is managed through a bilateral arrangement between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh government with expenses divided into two components.

Tarique Rahman said the three-fourths of the total cost is  determined by the Saudi authorities, while the remaining one-fourth of the expenditure is incurred in Bangladesh, mainly covering airfares and other local expenses.

He said the minimum Hajj package for 2026 was fixed at Tk 467,167, including the cost of Qurbani.

Of the amount, Tk 300,797 was spent on the Saudi Arabia portion while the rest was spent in Bangladesh  including Tk 154,830 for airfare.

The PM said the minimum Hajj package in 2025 was Tk 478,242, but it was reduced by Tk 11,075 for 2026, allowing pilgrims to benefit from the decrease.

“Considering the global situation and the expenses announced for the Saudi segment, the government will make every effort to reduce or rationalise the Hajj package prices for 2027 for the benefit of common religious Muslims,” he said.