ZCZC
BSS-29
BANGLADESH-INDIA-RETURN
241 stranded Bangladeshis return from India
DHAKA, May 1, 2020 (BSS) – A total of 241 more Bangladeshi nationals, who
have been stranded in India amid flight suspension due to COVID-19 pandemic,
arrived here from Chennai and Kolkata today by separate chartered flights
today.
Among the returnees, 73 Bangladeshi nations arrived here from Kolkata by a
special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines while 168 returned from South
Indian city of Chennai by a US-Bangla Airlines chartered special flight.
“Our special flight landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA)
from Kolkata at 4:10 pm carrying 73 Bangladeshi nationals,” Biman’s Deputy
General Manager (PR) Tahera Khondoker told BSS.
Earlier, the US-Bangla Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft landed here from
Chennai at 2:58 PM bringing back 164 adults and 4 infants Bangladeshi
citizens, HISA director Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan confirmed it to
media.
Both the chartered flights were facilitated by the government in
coordination with Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi.
As per the government decision, all returnee Bangladeshis will be sent to a
14-day institutional quarantine under the management of the Armed Forces
Division (AFD) if they fail to show medical certificate at the airport on
their arrival here.
From April 20 till today, nearly 1400 Bangladeshi nationals were brought
back from India by nine chartered flights – seven from Chennai, operated by
US- Bangla Airlines, and one from New Delhi and one from Kolkata, operated by
Biman Bangladesh Airlines – while the passengers bore the cost of their own
tickets.
Bangladesh High Commission in India has kept their efforts on to facilitate
the return of more Bangladeshis who are still stuck up in India.
Four more chartered flights are scheduled to bring back more stranded
Bangladeshi from New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.
On April 3, the foreign ministry issued a statement, saying that nearly
2,500 Bangladeshi citizens, including 1,000 students, were stranded in India
due to COVID-19 outbreak.
On April 27, Bangladesh extended the ongoing ban on flight operation for
the fourth consecutive time till May 7 to and from all European countries and
the nations including India that restricted the entry of Bangladeshis to
their territories as well as on all domestic routes over the coronavirus
scare.
BSS/ASG/TA/KU/1800 HRS