Yemen crisis: 337 Bangladeshis to reach Dhaka Sunday

A total of 337 Bangladeshi nationals, who were evacuated from war-torn Yemen last week, are expected to return home tomorrow.

“They will reach at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by two special flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines,” reads a text message issued by the Foreign Ministry.

The first flight is scheduled to arrive at 4:15am while another at 4:30am. Shahriar Alam, state minister for foreign affairs, will receive them at the airport, the message reads.

The passenger ships -- MV Corals and MV Kavaratti -- sent by the Indian government, reached the southern Indian port city of Kochi, with the Bangladeshi nationals at around 2:00pm (local time), Press Ministers at Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, Enamul Huq Chowdhury told the Daily Star.

The Bangladeshis were received at Kochi port by officials from Bangladeshi missions in New Delhi and Mumbai, he added.

Enamul Huq said two planes of Bangladesh Biman are already in Kochi to fly the evacuated Bangladeshis back home. The officials of the Bangladeshi High Commission in New Delhi and Deputy High Commissions in Mumbai are coordinating and making proper arrangements in this regard.

The Bangladeshis will have to go through the immigration process, health check-ups and custom checks at Kochi port before boarding the Biman flights.

The 337 Bangladeshis reached Djibouti from Yemen on an Indian navy ship which was equipped with armed naval commandos on April 5 and departed from there on April 12.