Second batch of 65 Bangladeshi nationals evacuated from Lebanon arrived in Dhaka today by a Saudi Arabian commercial flight.
The aircraft carrying the expatriates including two infants landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) here this afternoon via Jeddah, an official of HSIA told BSS.
The group of stranded Bangladeshis departed from Beirut at 10:50 pm (local time) on Tuesday and reached Jeddah at 8:20 am this morning and left Jeddah at 1:20 pm (local time) for Dhaka.
The third batch of 31 expatriates is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Thursday night, according to Bangladesh mission in Beirut.
First batch of 54 Bangladeshi nationals evacuated from Lebanon arrived in Dhaka on Monday.
Receiving them in the airport Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment adviser Dr Asif Nazrul told the returnees that they would be rehabilitated at home or abroad.
“We will explore options for rehabilitating those who have returned. If the situation in Lebanon stabilizes, they may go back. We will not abandon them; efforts will be made to ensure their rehabilitation either within the country or abroad,” he told.
The adviser assured that all necessary funds would be allocated to bring back stranded Bangladeshis from Lebanon with the assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
“Everyone will be repatriated at no cost,” he added.
Earlier, foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain informed the media that given the capacity constraints, they are exploring options to transport a larger expatriate Bangladeshi group by sea to Turkey, from where they can fly to Bangladesh.
The Foreign Affairs and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment ministries are coordinating with IOM to ensure the safe return of Bangladeshis affected by the ongoing conflict in Lebanon.
There are an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 Bangladeshi nationals in Lebanon, but only about 1,800 have expressed interest for returning home and only 160 have necessary legal documents for repatriation.
The repatriation process is complicated due to lack of proper documentation, which is required to obtain exit clearances and pay associated fees, according to the foreign ministry officials.
Earlier, Bangladesh Embassy in Lebanon issued a notification encouraging interested nationals to enroll their names for repatriation.
