A total of 68,297 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims have successfully returned home from Saudi Arabia as of Friday, marking a significant milestone following the completion of this year's Hajj, which was held on May 26.

Providing an update on the return operations, an official stated, "A total of 188 return flights were operated by three designated carriers -- 102 by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 63 by Saudia Airlines and 23 by Flynas Airlines."

According to data released by the Hajj office, 4,459 pilgrims have returned under government management while 63,838 have completed their journey back under the arrangements of various private travel agencies across the 188 recorded flights.

Breaking down the airline-specific figures, 31,981 pilgrims arrived on 102 flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 23,149 arrived on 63 flights of Saudia Airlines, 8,967 traveled on 23 flights of Flynas Airlines and an additional 4,200 Hajis returned to Bangladesh via other carriers.

The director of the Hajj office added that the remaining pilgrims are expected to arrive home gradually through these designated airlines.

Regarding the health and well-being of the pilgrims, the report noted that 55 Bangladeshi pilgrims have passed away in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj season, consisting of 37 males and 18 females.

Of those who died, 37 passed away in Makkah, 17 in Madinah, and one in Jeddah, with no deaths reported in Mina or Muzdalifah.

Furthermore, the Hajj bulletin detailed that 415 pilgrims received necessary treatment at various hospitals in Saudi Arabia due to illnesses, and 11 pilgrims remain currently hospitalized.

Throughout the season, Saudi Arabian medical centers provided treatment to 67,086 pilgrims, while the IT help desk assisted 28,405 Hajis in Makkah and Madinah.

This year’s Hajj operations commenced with the first outbound flight on April 18 and concluded on May 21, while the return flights began on May 30 and are scheduled to continue until July 1.