ZCZC
BSS-28
US-SECOND-FLIGHT
US embassy for second chartered flight for its citizens
DHAKA, April 1, 2020 (BSS) – The USA Embassy here is continuing to work
with the Department of State and Bangladesh government to charter another
flight from here for those US citizens who opted to go back home on their
personal choice amid the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
“We will announce the next flight when details are confirmed,” read a
message for US citizens posted on the Dhaka’s US embassy website here today.
It asked the US citizens, who are intending to go back home, fill out an
online questionnaire before 8 pm tomorrow so that the embassy can assist
them.
Any US-government chartered flight would be only for US citizens with a
valid US passport, our first priority, and some Lawful Permanent Residents
(LPRs), it said adding that the final destination of the flight is yet to be
confirmed.
The embassy advised those US citizens who arrived in Bangladesh within the
last 14 days or are feeling ill or have a fever not to attempt to travel.
On Monday, a total of 269 US citizens including numbers of expatriate
Bangladeshis residing in the USA permanently, left here by a special
chartered flight of Qatar Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft for Washington, D.C.
via Doha.
On Sunday, at a virtual briefing, the US embassy officials said the US
government is not forcing anyone to return to the US, this is a personal
choice based on what its nationals are comfortable with.
They said this kind of arrangement is not only taking place in Bangladesh
as so far, the US State Department arranged special flights from 28 countries
around the globe to bring back nearly 10,000 US citizens to the USA.
The US embassy’s spokesperson said all the routine work of the US embassy
here are under operation except the regular visa service that was suspended
due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
BSS/ASG/TA/KU/1830 HRS