Saudi Arabia had suspended Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage that can be performed anytime, in late February due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. Of the six countries that opted not to take part in this year’s Hajj, the largest congregation of the believers of Islam, three are Muslim-majority countries are Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country, Malaysia and Brunei. According to Bangladesh’s Religious Affairs Ministry, the country was supposed to send 137,198 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this year. The government recently said it was ready to send pilgrims and waiting for Saudi Arabia’s final decision regarding Hajj. If the Hajj is cancelled, it will be for the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia, which was founded in 1932.

Source: Dhaka Tribune June 14, 2020 11:48 UTC