153 Bangladeshis stranded in UK returning home Sunday
The second special flight carrying 153 stranded Bangladeshis from the UK is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka early Sunday.
The special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, BG 4106, arranged by the Bangladesh government at the initiative of Bangladesh High Commission in London, took off from Heathrow on Saturday at 10:30am (local time).
The flight is scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 00:30am on Sunday, according to the Bangladesh High Commission in London.
The Bangladeshis have been stranded in the United Kingdom due to the suspension of international flights between Dhaka and London in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bangladesh high commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem saw off the returning passengers at the Heathrow Airport.
The high commissioner expressed her deepest gratitude to prime minister Sheikh Hasina for this special flight.
She said the prime minister has instructed all Bangladeshi missions abroad to take necessary steps for the safe repatriation of Bangladesh nationals stranded in different countries amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Accordingly, Tasneem said, Bangladesh High Commission in London arranged two repatriation flights for safe return of Bangladeshi nationals from the UK.
The high commissioner thanked the ministry of foreign affairs and Biman Bangladesh Airlines for their support to arrange this repatriation flight.
She also thanked the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK Home Office, UK, Border Agency and London Heathrow Airport Authorities for their tremendous support to ensure the safe return of the stranded Bangladeshis, mostly students.
At the request of Bangladesh High Commission, London the government re-routed the special flight to London on its way back to Dhaka to take home Bangladeshi citizens stranded in the UK.
The flight was originally scheduled for carrying Bangladeshi expatriates from Dhaka to Rome on 12 June.
The high commissioner said amid the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, the high commission arranged two repatriation flights for stranded Bangladeshis in the UK.
Since the coronavirus pandemic, the high commission has been working relentlessly to provide all possible supports and services to the British-Bangladeshi citizens in the UK, she said.
The commission will organise a Mujib Borsho Consular and Welfare Fortnight in July 2020 to provide people with better and faster consular and welfare services and bilateral trade and business advice by maintaining the health and safety advice for COVID-19.
Details of the programme will be announced in due course through media, according to the high commission’s website and Facebook page.
Earlier, the high commission, in close coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh and Bangladesh Air Force (BAF), arranged the first repatriation flight on 10 May and facilitated the repatriation of over 100 stranded Bangladesh citizens to Bangladesh.