114 Bangladeshi citizens return from UK
A total of 114 Bangladesh citizens, mostly students, arrived here on Monday morning from London, the uk (UK).
They were stranded in the united kingdom since suspension of international flights between Dhaka and London in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines special chartered flight - BG 4041 - carrying the Bangladesh citizens departed London at 7:45 pm (London Time).
The flight arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 9:40am with 114 passengers, Tahera Khandakar, deputy general manager (pr) of Biman told UNB.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the united kingdom Saida Muna Tasneem saw off the returning passengers at the Heathrow Airport.
The flight is scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal AIRPORT TERMINAL at 09:45 am today (Monday), according to Bangladesh High Commission in London.
Earlier at the request of Bangladesh High Commission in London, the federal government arranged the flight, being operated by the national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines and chartered by Bangladesh Air Force Welfare Trust (BAFWT).
The High Commission facilitated the return of the Bangladeshis after forming a COVID-19 Emergency Repatriation Committee.
Initially, more than 200 stranded Bangladeshi citizens, including students booked their flight, but many of them had cancelled their booking at the last moment citing personal reasons and in worries of institutional quarantine in Bangladesh on the arrival.
However, the High Commission has already provided all of the passengers with a health certificate predicated on their health assessment in order that they would be directed to home quarantine only.
Similarly, the High Commission has assured all passengers travelling from Dhaka to London that they might be guided to home quarantine.
"We are grateful to Bangladesh Government, exclusively to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina; and for the initiative of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladesh Air Force specifically for chartering this flight," said High Commissioner Tasneem.
From the High Commission, she said, they are humbly gratified that they could reunite the Bangladeshi citizens, in particular students, stranded in the united kingdom with their own families in Bangladesh before Eid-ul-Fitr.
"We also wish to thank particularly UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK OFFICE AT HOME, UK Border Agency, London Heathrow Airport Authorities and Biman Bangladesh Airlines because of their tremendous support to guarantee the safe return of the stranded Bangladeshis in this difficult time of unprecedented coronavirus pandemic," said the High Commissioner.
