At least 21 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims have died of various causes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Among the deceased, 18 were males and three were females. Of them, 16 died in Makkah, four in Madinah, and one in Mina, the latest bulletin of the Hajj Management Portal under the Ministry of Religious Affairs said early Wednesday.

The number of deaths rose to 21 as another Bangladeshi pilgrim died in the KSA on Tuesday. The deceased was Md Tofazzal Hoque, 70, and his passport number was A07247026, it said.

As many as 85,225 pilgrims from Bangladesh arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this year under government and private management.

Muslim pilgrims from all over the world performed Hajj on 15 June.

The first Hajj flight of the year left Dhaka for the KSA on 9 May and the last flight was operated on 12 June.

The return flights are scheduled to begin on 20 June and will continue till 22 July.

550 Hajj pilgrims die

Diplomats on Tuesday said at least 550 pilgrims died during the Hajj, underscoring the gruelling nature of the pilgrimage which again unfolded in scorching temperatures this year.

At least 323 of those who died were Egyptians, most of them succumbing to heat-related illnesses, two Arab diplomats coordinating their countries' responses told AFP.

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and all Muslims with the means must complete it at least once.