Staff Correspondent

Religious pilgrims preparing for Umrah are increasingly falling prey to deceptive practices and fraudulent promises made by unauthorized agencies and self-proclaimed "Muallims" offering low-cost packages.

Exploiting the religious sentiments of devotees who spend their life savings to visit Makkah and Madinah, a section of unscrupulous agencies and intermediaries in Bangladesh have engaged in aggressive competition to offer cheap Umrah packages with attractive commitments that often remain unfulfilled upon arrival in Saudi Arabia.

Returning pilgrims and victims have reported widespread discrepancies between the promised services and actual conditions in Saudi Arabia. Allegations include housing pilgrims in substandard hotels far from the Haram Shareef despite promises of close proximity, sudden hotel changes, acute transportation shortages, lack of responsible guides, and unexpected demands for additional money.

Prior to booking, agencies frequently advertise hotels as being within "10 to 12 minutes' walking distance" from the Haram. However, pilgrims, particularly elderly and physically frail individuals, often discover upon arrival that the accommodation requires vehicle transport, causing severe physical and financial hardship during daily prayers, Tawaf, and Sa'i. Furthermore, promised representatives and guides frequently become unreachable when pilgrims face hotel, food, or transport difficulties in an unfamiliar environment.

Mufti-Maulana Sohail Ahmad Rahmani, who returned to Bangladesh on Sunday, September 20, 2026, after completing Umrah, recounted significant irregularities during his trip. He noted that while his package promised eight days in Makkah and five days in Madinah, the operators kept the group in Makkah for 11 days and reduced their stay in Madinah to merely one and a half days.

In addition to accommodation irregularities, experts and victims have warned against dangerous offers where fraudulent operators reduce package prices by Tk 20,000 to Tk 25,000 in exchange for carrying unknown parcels or luggage belonging to third parties. Transporting unverified goods poses severe legal risks under international customs laws, potentially leading to detention or legal prosecution for gold smuggling, illegal narcotics, or undeclared contraband.

To avoid fraud, aviation and travel experts advise prospective pilgrims to secure written contracts explicitly stating hotel names, exact distances from the Haram, flight details, meal arrangements, internal transport, guide responsibilities, and itemized costs before making payments. They also recommend retaining all payment receipts, verifying the licensing of agencies, and strictly refusing to carry third-party baggage.

Consumer rights advocates and affected pilgrims have urged the government and relevant authorities to step up monitoring of Umrah travel operators, establish transparent service frameworks, and initiate strict legal action against fraudulent agencies and fake Muallims to protect the sanctity of the pilgrimage.