With only 12 days remaining, the process of house-renting in Saudi Arabia for around 38,000 pilgrims intending to perform hajj under private management is yet to begin, the religious affairs secretary said Tuesday, reports bdnews24.com.

"No representative of any hajj agency has gone out there yet to rent houses," religious affairs secretary Muhammad Ataur Rahman said at a press conference at the Press Information Department.
 
Rahman accused the agencies for the delay in securing accommodation ahead of hajj: "The agencies were pressed time and again by the government over this matter."
 
The secretary said the government had given permission to 234 agencies for private management of pilgrims, although only 185 took part in the programme. Of those, 147 applied for approval from the ministry of foreign affairs, although only 19 also applied to the Saudi embassy for multiple visas.
 
"Not one of the agencies who received approval has gone to Saudi Arabia to rent accommodation, although their local representatives have been trying to rent houses there. The Bangladeshi mission in Saudi Arabia came to know of this unofficially," he said.
 
Regarding any possible fallout from the debacle, Rahman said housing issues had never stopped anyone performing hajj.
 
"The government can do little other than take steps against the agencies," he added.
 
However, rental accommodation for 4,778 people has been organised in Mecca out of the 7,465 individuals intending to perform hajj under government management.
 
"Within a few days the entire process of house renting will be completed in Mecca. The hiring of houses in Medina is already completed," said the religious affairs secretary.

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