Five winners of a special Umrah campaign organized by Nagad Islamic, the Shariah-compliant digital wallet service of mobile financial service provider Nagad, arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday to perform the holy Umrah.
The winners departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 3:15 am on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight and reached Jeddah at 10:10 am Bangladesh time. The entire cost of the pilgrimage is being borne by Nagad Islamic.
The campaign, launched during the holy month of Ramadan, drew participation from customers across the country. Under the initiative, users of Nagad Islamic wallets became eligible for the Umrah package by conducting transactions worth at least Tk 3,000, excluding person-to-person (P2P) transfers. Five winners were selected through a lottery among eligible participants.
The winners are Md Jubayer Hossain, an auto-rickshaw driver from Dhaka; Md Shajahan, a mason from Kafrul in Dhaka; Md Manik, a farmer from Lalmonirhat; Ali Akbar Sheikh, a tea stall owner from Khulna; and Md Redwan Hossain, a contractor from Chapainawabganj.
Expressing his gratitude, Jubayer Hossain said performing Umrah had long been beyond his financial means. “Driving an auto-rickshaw, I never imagined I would get the opportunity to visit the Holy Kaaba. Nagad has fulfilled one of the biggest dreams of my life,” he said.
Another winner, farmer Md Manik, said he had never expected that his routine digital transactions would lead to such a spiritual journey. “For people like us, travelling to Saudi Arabia for Umrah is often only a dream. Nagad has made that dream a reality,” he added.
Ahead of their departure, Nagad formally handed over travel documents to the winners at a brief ceremony held at its office on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion, Nagad Administrator Motasem Billah said the company was delighted to help fulfil the religious aspirations of people from lower-income groups.
“Nagad Islamic is more than a digital wallet. It is a platform that respects the religious values and sentiments of our customers. We share the joy of these five winners as they perform Umrah and pray at the Holy Kaaba,” he said.
He added that Nagad would continue to undertake similar welfare-oriented and spiritually meaningful initiatives in the future.