Dhaka requests Tunis to help fly 7,701 nationals
2,931 return home today
The government has sought landing permission of Biman aircrafts in Tunisia to expedite the repatriation of 7,701 nationals now stranded in the Tunisian border, Ras Jdir.
Two aircrafts of Biman Bangladesh Airlines have already carried 600 Bangladeshis, and remaining 845 passengers will be repatriated in next couple of days.
Besides, Biman will operate two additional aircrafts tomorrow (March 17) to complete repatriation from Egypt.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni at a press briefing yesterday said a total of 20,994 Bangladesh nationals have already repatriated to Bangladesh, and another 2,931 people are due to return today.
She said that currently, there are about 25,000 Bangladeshi citizens inside Libya, and they have been evacuating to safer areas.
So far 33,735 Bangladeshis have left Libya fearing deadly clashes.
"We are now awaiting Tunisian government's permission to operate Biman flights. The foreign secretary is now in Tunisia and holding meetings with government officials regarding Biman's landing permission and assurance to continue allowing Bangladeshis in its border till completion of repatriation," Dipu Moni said.
She said the influx of Bangladeshis at the border point of Al Salloum in Egypt has decreased remarkably.
According to Dipu Moni, the foreign ministry was informed that there are 189 Bangladeshi nationals staying in Ain-Amenas, a southern city of Algeria that is close to Libyan border.
The IOM has taken necessary preparations to repatriate the 189 Bangladeshi citizens, she added
The foreign minister further informed that the Greece government has recovered more bodies in Crete Island, but all of them are yet to be identified.
"We are suspecting that the bodies may be of the 11 Bangladeshis who jumped from ship and went missing during evacuation at Hania Port in Crete Island," she added.
She said three bodies have earlier arrived in Dhaka and Greek police on Monday received another body, which the Bangladesh embassy in Athens has identified as Ruhul Amen, son of Majir Uddin of Hasan Lata in Dange Bazar, Polan, Narsingdhi.
Meanwhile, Dipu Moni said that while returning from Egypt, she held a meeting in Dubai with the Bangladesh ambassadors from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Jordan, Oman, and Qatar and discussed the situation, in which Bangladeshis are residing in these countries.
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