The Supreme Court today upheld a High Court verdict that had cleared the way for the hajj pilgrims to choose any airline while going to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha dismissed an appeal filed by the government challenging the high court verdict.

Following a writ petition, the High Court on February 20, 2014 cleared the way for the hajj pilgrims to choose any airline for going to Saudi Arabia.

The HC on that day also declared illegal a government decision that said that the pilgrims must choose Biman Bangladesh or Saudi Arabian Airlines for pilgrimage.

Earlier the hajj pilgrims were bound to fly only those airlines prescribed by the government.