Saudi Arabian police have arrested a Bangladeshi man for begging during his trip to the country to perform the Hajj pilgrimage.
Md Motiar Rahman, a native of Meherpur's Gangni upazila, was arrested in Medina on Jun 22.
An official from the Bangladesh Hajj Mission later arranged for his release on bond later that day, reports bdnews24.com.
The religious affairs ministry issued a show-cause notice to Dhanshiri Air Travels Ltd, the agency that facilitated Motiar's trip, on Jun 25, according to its Deputy Secretary Abul Kashem Muhammad Shaheen.
Motiar tarnished Bangladesh's reputation by begging on the pretext of having his bag stolen, the notice said.
The incident disrupted Hajj management efforts and was in violation of the government's guidelines on Hajj and Umrah. Motiar also did not have a 'local guide' or a place to stay, the notice added.
The agency has been asked to explain why administrative action would not be taken against them under the Hajj and Umrah Management Act within three days.
It is yet to respond to the notice, but legal action will be taken once it does, said Shaheen, adding that he'd never heard of such an incident before.
The news agency could not reach the travel agency's owner Md Al Mamun for comment on the matter.
The Hajj is likely to be held on Jul 8, depending on the sighting of the moon. Hajj flights from Bangladesh started on Jun 5.
With the increase in the quota for pilgrims, a total of 57,585 Bangladeshis got the opportunity to perform the Hajj this year – 4,000 under government management and 53,585 under private agencies.
