Dhaka, July 29 -- The Religious Affairs Ministry has begun preparations for the 2026 Hajj, as the Saudi government has set a strict timeline for all participating countries including Bangladesh to complete the entire process well in advance.

Under the new roadmap, missing any deadlines including registration, payment, or signing of service agreements could risk pilgrims' chances of performing Hajj, according to the ministry officials.

Religious Affairs Secretary AKM Aftab Hossain Pramanik said, "Hajj is a bilateral arrangement between two countries and this time we must start earlier. We've already met with Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) and we are working in phases to finalise the package."

"We're still waiting on serv...