DHAKA: After completing Hajj, pilgrims from Bangladesh say they will return home with a sense of gratitude to all those who have assisted them throughout their journey, especially Saudi volunteers.

The Hajj came to a close on Friday, after 2 million Muslims performed its rites this year.

They began to depart from Islam’s holiest sites in Makkah after performing a farewell tawaf, circling seven times around the Kaaba — the black cube at the center of the Grand Mosque of Makkah, the most sacred place for Islam and considered the House of God.

With 122,000 pilgrims, Bangladesh’s Hajj contingent was one of the biggest this year.

Wrapping up their stay in the Kingdom, they appreciated the efforts and care coming from their hosts.

Shahadat Hossain Taslim, president of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh, told Arab News by phone from Makkah that the way Saudi authorities dealt with managing the 2 million people gathered in the holy sites was “praiseworthy” and could not have been better.

“This management is really a very, very big task,” he said. “Saudi police and volunteers, those who delivered services during Hajj, I found them very cordial. It seemed that they were treating the guests of Allah.”

Tens of thousands of health workers were deployed for the pilgrimage and volunteers on the ground were handing out water, guiding the pilgrims as many struggled in the extremely hot weather, with temperatures exceeding 42 degrees Celsius.

“In hundreds of cases, I have seen the Saudi volunteers coming with water and treating our pilgrims. Without it, many of them wouldn’t have been able to complete the rituals,” Taslim said.

“Whenever any pilgrim got lost, the volunteers were there to help him or her find their hotels and locations. Everyone from the Saudi authorities delivered the best service to the pilgrims.”

And everyone was welcoming and friendly.

“When we were returning from Mina, Saudi police entered our bus and requested to pray for them,” Taslim said. “It was a brotherly atmosphere.”

Abdur Rashid, 63-year-old pilgrim from Chottogram, told Arab News that he “never felt uncared for” during his pilgrimage.

“The Saudi volunteers were available all the time. In the field of Arafah, I was feeling very sick due to dehydration as it was in scorching heat. Within two or three minutes, a Saudi volunteer came up with a bottle of water and stayed with me until I felt OK,” he said.

“I prayed for this man from the bottom of my heart.”