54 Bangladeshis return from Lebanon in first phase

The first batch of 54 Bangladeshi expatriates were repatriated today from Lebanon amid an ongoing conflict in the Middle Eastern country.

The expatriates departed Lebanese capital Beirut and arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka in a Saudia Airlines flight around 6:00pm.

Expatriates' Welfare Adviser to the interim government Asif Nazrul welcomed them at the airport.

Later, Nazrul told reporters the government will do its best so that Bangladeshis in distress in Lebanon can return to the country safely.

If necessary, the government will rehabilitate them at home and abroad, he said.

He said the government through its mission in Beirut has so far registered names of about 1,800 expatriates under a repatriation initiative.

The government will provide all necessary costs required for their return, he further said.

One of the returnees Mohamamd Hussain of Narsingdi said, "I started feeling relieved from the moment the plane took off the Beirut airport."

He said his family also returned with him.

Hussian, who worked at a shop, said he passed each moment as if it would be his last.

There are undocumented Bangladeshi expatriates who need to pay a fine to return home but are unable to bear the expenses since they are jobless now, he added.

Marium of Bagerhat who went to Lebanon in 2010 and lived in Saida area said the situation there deteriorated lately as incident of bombing was even heard at the moment they were boarding the plane.

She said there were about 250 to 300 Bangladeshis in Saida and only nine of them returned yesterday.