176 more Bangladeshis reach Jeddah from Sudan

Another 176 Bangladeshis, who were stranded in war-torn Sudan, reached Jeddah Airport on Wednesday afternoon on a special flight of Sudan's Badr Airlines, reports UNB.

Bangladesh ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mohammad Javed Patwary received them at the airport. Consul general of Bangladesh in Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Nazmul Haque was also present there.

Two more flights of Badr Airlines with 302 more Bangladeshis expected to reach Jeddah from Sudan on Thursday night, Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia said in a press release on Wednesday.

It said a total of 52 Bangladeshis would leave Jeddah Airport for Dhaka on a special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines at 1:00 am (Saudi local time).

Besides, some 130 Bangladeshis will leave for Dhaka on a flight of Qatar Airlines and 238 on a flight Biman Bangladesh Airlines from Medina, the press release said.

The remaining of the Bangladeshis in Jeddah will leave for Dhaka on various flights as soon as possible. The English section of the Jeddah Bangladesh International School has provided necessary facilities, including space for relaxation, food and medical care.

Earlier, on 8 May, some 136 Bangladeshi nationals from Sudan reached home via Jeddah. Around 1,500 Bangladeshis are stranded in Sudan, the press release said.

Bangladesh has taken initiative to operate four chartered flights from Sudan to evacuate the remaining Bangladeshis stranded in the country.

Three of the chartered flights will be operating on Thursday. The last flight will leave Sudan on Friday. State minister for foreign affairs Md Shahriar Alam told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

He said the government has sent the required financial support for providing food to Bangladeshis who are waiting to return home.

Sudan has plunged into a civil war that has so far claimed the lives of more than 600 people, including civilians, and displaced hundreds of thousands since last month.