ZCZC
BSS-40
BANGLADESH-FOREIGN-NATIONALS
Dhaka puts best efforts to help foreign nationals, ministry
DHAKA, April 5 2020 (BSS) – The government has put its best efforts to help
foreign citizens and permanent residents (PRs) stranded in Bangladesh due to
COVID-19, a foreign ministry press release said here today.
“The government remains committed to providing adequate health facilities
and support to the foreign citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) living
inside the country, particularly diplomats and their families,” it said.
Besides, the release said Bangladesh government has extended its
wholehearted cooperation to the foreign missions in Dhaka who sought
assistance to take their citizens and PRs keen to stand by their family
members during this crisis period.
So far, the ministry said Dhaka has facilitated six special flights,
including two to the USA consisting of over 900 passengers, who opted to go
back their countries.
“Most of them (departed foreign nations) being regular visitors arriving in
Bangladesh before the COVID-19 outbreak became stranded as the regular flight
operations were suspended”, said the release.
As they started to contact the embassies and request for the repatriation,
it aided foreign missions here to take measures in collaboration with
Bangladesh government to arrange charter flights.
About 85 percent of USA-bound passengers are Bangladeshi-born US citizens
or Permanent Residents (PRs) who travel to reunite with their families left
in the USA for accompanying them during the time when they need them most, it
said.
A significant number of PRs had to travel back to the USA before the
deadline period, a legal obligation that needs to be obliged by all PRs in
the USA, the release observed.
It also said a large number of Japanese and Russians who have left or are
in the process of leaving here were engaged in different projects which are
currently not in operation.
“So these experts and consultants have decided to join their families as
currently they do not have much work. As soon as the situation normalizes,
all of them are expected to return,” it read.
Among other cases, it mentioned a good number of foreign students studying
in Bangladesh have flown back or are in the process of leaving Bangladesh as
all the educational institutions are presently closed.
BSS/PR/TA/KU/1940 HRS