353 Bangladeshis return from Maldives

1183

DHAKA, May 16, 2020 (BSS) – A total of 353 Bangladeshi nationals mostly expatriate workers returned home from Maldives by a special chartered flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines tonight amid ongoing flight suspension due to COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our chartered Boeing 777 aircraft landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Male at 9:58 pm tonight bringing back 353 Bangladeshi citizens,” a spokesperson of the airlines Deputy General Manager (PR) Tahera Khondokar told BSS.

She said the government sent a Bangladeshi medical team comprising around 50 members of doctors and health professionals to Maldives by this aircraft that earlier reached Male via Chinese city Guangzhou.

As per the government decision, all the returnee Bangladeshis would have to be sent to a 14-day institutional quarantine under the management of the Armed Forces Division (AFD) if they fail to show medical certificates at the airport on their arrival here.

The returnee expatriate workers received Taka 5,000 on arrival at the airport, according to a government decision taken last month.

Besides, the expatriate welfare ministry decided to provide loans varying from Taka 5,00,000 to Taka 7,00,000 upon return of jobless expatriate workers here from different countries amid COVID-19 pandemic to assist them engage in viable economic activities especially in agriculture sector.

On Thursday, Bangladesh extended the ongoing ban on flight operation for the sixth consecutive time till May 30 to and from all European countries and the nations that restricted the entry of Bangladeshis to their territories as well as on all domestic routes over the coronavirus fear.