More BD nationals to arrive today Thousands stranded in Tunisia

FE Report | Published: March 05, 2011 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

FE Report
A total of 336 more Bangladeshis will arrive in the city today (Saturday) from Libya by two flights under the supervision of International Organisation for Migration (IOM). "The IOM-chartered planes will bring back 336 Bangladeshi nationals at 10:30 am and 5:45 pm," IOM spokesman Asif Munier told the FE over phone. As of Friday, 2,024 Bangladeshis returned home so far from Libya under the initiative of IOM and the government, according to sources. Of the returnees, 392 came by three flights Friday and another 186 arrived Thursday from the Egyptian border, the IOM official added. He, however, said his organization, along with UNHCR, has launched a global appeal for technical and logistic support for the stranded people, in addition to IOM's appeal for 11 million dollars. IOM has brought back 1,139 Bangladeshis from Libya during the period between February 28 and March 4. IOM and immigration officials in Dhaka are providing round-the-clock support to the returnees to complete their airport formalities within the quickest possible time, said the IOM official. Meanwhile, an IOM press release from Dhaka centre said 843 Bangladeshis are inside the IOM reception centre on the Egyptian border while another group of 2,000 Bangladeshis are at the IOM reception centres on the Tunisian border. IOM staff from Tunisia, Egypt and Greece are in constant contact with those in Dhaka in order to co-ordinate the safe return of Bangladeshis. AFP from Ras Jdir in Tunisia adds: Over 10,000 Bangladeshis who fled revolt-hit Libya were still stranded in Tunisia Friday after planeloads of Egyptians were airlifted home in a major international operation. The evacuation involving aircraft and ships from France, Britain and other countries has since Wednesday shifted thousands of people who fled across the border amid a violent crackdown on an uprising against Moamer Kadhafi. But concerns were growing for destitute Bangladeshi labourers who had been left behind, sleeping out in the open for days around the main border at Ras Jdir, about 175 kilometres (110 miles) from the Libyan capital. "Thanks to a rapid response from the international community, significant progress has been made with the evacuation of Egyptians and other nationalities from Tunisia," a UN refugees agency (UNHCR) spokeswoman said. "A total of around 12,500 people still need evacuation. Over 10,000 are from Bangladesh," spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said in Geneva, adding that two flights were planned for Bangladesh Friday.