Dhaka, July 2 -- Bangladesh has opened pre-registration for the 2027 Hajj, with the Ministry of Religious Affairs setting out the documents prospective pilgrims must have in hand.

The ministry also made a bank account compulsory for all pilgrims to ensure secure and orderly financial transactions.

On Wednesday, the ministry's Hajj-1 branch said pre-registration is the first step for all Bangladeshis intending to perform Hajj.

According to the ministry, applicants must provide a national identity card, a Bangladeshi passport or birth certificate, a passport-sized photograph, a mobile phone number and a bank account number.

Members of the same family may use a single bank account, it said.

The ministry also asked pilgrims who completed...