154 UK citizens repatriated via Biman flight, stranded Bangladeshis returning tomorrow

Another 154 British citizens who were stranded in Bangladesh due to the suspension of regular flights amid the Covid-19 pandemic, left Dhaka for London today aboard a special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

A chartered flight of Biman left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 12:09pm for London carrying 154 passengers, HSIA Director Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan told media personnel through a WhatsApp message.

The Bangladesh Air Force Welfare Trust, with support of the foreign ministry, took the initiative to operate the special flight.

The Bangladesh government has sent different medical items including personal protective equipment, hand sanitiser, hand gloves, head and shoe cover, vitamin tablets, fruits and vegetables aboard the flight.

Earlier in the morning, around 54 Bangladeshi-origin citizens of the UK came to Dhaka from Sylhet aboard a special flight of Novo Air, to catch the Biman flight to London.

Around 1300 stranded British nationals, most of whom are expatriate Bangladeshis residing permanently in the UK, have so far left Dhaka by special chartered flights arranged by the UK government in coordination with the British High Commission in Bangladesh, sources at HSIA said.

Bangladeshi citizens stranded in the UK are scheduled to be brought back to the country tomorrow morning, Tahera Khandaker, deputy general manager (public relations) at Biman, told The Daily Star.

The number of passengers on the return flight is yet to be finalised, she added.

The Bangladesh government suspended air communication with all countries except for China from March 16 to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus.