Bangladeshis still stranded at Sudan port

Over 650 Bangladeshis who were brought to the Port of Sudan had been unable to board the ships bound for Jeddah as of Thursday afternoon.
"We were informed that we would be transported to Jeddah by ship today, but we are still stranded at the Port of Sudan," Abu Bahar, one of the Bangladeshis who was evacuated from Khartoum, told the FE on Thursday afternoon over the telephone.
Bahar said they were initially told that everyone would be transported on Thursday, but now the officials at the local mission later informed them that only 100 to 120 people will be moved in the first phase.
"This has caused an anarchic situation here, as everyone intends to go in the first phase," he commented. However, Bahar added that they were still hopeful.
On Wednesday, Bangla-desh foreign ministry officials said that all Bangladeshis who were evacuated from Sudan would be transferred to Jeddah by ship. The Bangladeshis will have to cross the Red Sea by ship to reach Jeddah, from where they will be transported back home.
However, they cannot be flown directly to Bangladesh upon reaching Jeddah because there are no available flights on Thursday, said officials. Therefore, the plan was to bring them back to Dhaka on flights departing from Jeddah on Friday night.
The first group of evacuated Bangladeshis may reach home on Saturday, according to officials.
The violent conflict in Sudan, particularly in the capital city of Khartoum, has forced foreign nationals to flee the country. Since May 15, a power struggle between two Sudanese security forces has led to a violent war that resulted in the deaths of over 500 people.

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