Dhaka: The Saudi authorities have approved all pending applications of intending Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims paving ways for them to perform the holy Islamic ritual, a Bangladesh foreign ministry statement said in Dhaka on Tuesday evening.

‘The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to inform that 118,924 pilgrims’ visas have been approved by Saudi authorities as of 14 August 2017,’ the statement read.

It added: ‘The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Dhaka has informed that there is no pending application with them.’

The statement said Bangladesh’s foreign ministry also was ‘closely working with the Saudi authorities in this regard’.