Dhaka, June 15 -- The number of Bangladeshi pilgrims who have died during this year's Hajj has risen to 29 amid a searing heatwave sweeping across Makkah and Madinah, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The ministry has urged devotees in Saudi Arabia to avoid going outdoors between 9am and 5pm in the two pilgrimage cities.

The tally of deaths rose when Rokeya Begum, 62, died in Makkah, as reported on Saturday. Originally from Barguna, she had arrived in the city on Jun 1 aboard a Saudia Airlines jet.

So far, 25 male and four female pilgrims from Bangladesh have died during Hajj this year. Of them, 19 died in Makkah, nine in Madinah, and one on Mount Arafat. In the Saudi public hospitals, 19 others are currently receiving tr...