240 Bangladeshis return from India

240 more Bangladeshi citizens returned home from India by two separate special flights yesterday.

Of the total, 74 returned from Kolkata by a chartered flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines while 166 returned from Chennai by a special flight of US-Bangla Airlines, sources at Biman and the Dhaka airport, said.

"The special flight of Biman landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 3:50pm," Tahera Khandaker, deputy general manager, public relations, Biman, told The Daily Star.

On the other hand, the US-Bangla Airlines' flight landed at 2:45pm, said an official of Aviation Security, HSIA.

With yesterday's returnees, around 2,567 Bangladeshi nationals stuck in the neighbouring country due to suspension of passenger flights returned to the country, sources at HSIA said.

Most of the Bangladeshis stranded in India went there for treatment purpose.

After yesterday's flights, Biman is scheduled to operate four more: one from Mumbai on May 12, from Bengaluru on May 13, 15 and from Delhi on May 14.

US-Bangla Airlines, will operate two more special flights, both from Chennai, on May 13 and 14, the Bangladesh High Commission in India said in a release.

154 UK CITIZENS LEAVE DHAKA

Meanwhile, another 154 British citizens stranded in Bangladesh left Dhaka for London by a special flight of Biman yesterday.

The chartered flight left HSIA around 12:09pm, HSIA Director Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan told media through a WhatsApp message.

Bangladesh Airforce Welfare Trust, with support from the foreign ministry, took initiative to operate the special flight.

Bangladesh government has sent various medical items -- including personal protective equipment, hand sanitiser, hand gloves, head and shoe cover, and vitamin tablets -- and fruits and vegetables on the flight.

Earlier in the morning, around 54 Bangladeshis born in UK came to Dhaka from Sylhet by a special flight of Novo Air to catch the flight to London. 

So far, around 1300 stranded British nationals -- most of whom are expatriate Bangladeshis residing in UK -- have left Dhaka by special chartered flights of British Airways arranged by the UK government in coordination with the British High Commission in Bangladesh, sources at HSIA said.

Bangladesh government has suspended air communication with all countries except China from March 16 to contain the deadly Covid-19.