A total of 114 Bangladeshis, mostly students, stranded in the UK since suspension of international flights between Dhaka and London in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, returned home from London on Monday.
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines special chartered flight, BG 4041, carrying the 114 Bangladesh citizens, arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 9:40am, said Tahera Khandakar, deputy general manager (public relations) of Biman.
The flight departed London at 7:45 pm (London Time).
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem saw off the returning passengers at the Heathrow Airport.
Earlier at the request of Bangladesh High Commission in London, the government arranged the flight, being operated by the national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines and chartered by Bangladesh Air Force Welfare Trust (BAFWT).
The High Commission facilitated the return of the Bangladeshis after forming a COVID-19 Emergency Repatriation Committee.
Initially, more than 200 stranded Bangladeshi citizens, including students booked their flight, but many of them had cancelled their booking at the very last moment citing personal reasons and in the fear of institutional quarantine in Bangladesh on their arrival.
However, the High Commission has already provided all the passengers with a health certificate based on their health assessment so that they could be directed to home quarantine only.
“We are grateful to Bangladesh Government, specially to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina; and for the initiative of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladesh Air Force in particular for chartering this flight," said High Commissioner Tasneem.
From the High Commission, she said, they are humbly gratified that they could reunite the Bangladeshi citizens, in particular students, stranded in the UK with their families in Bangladesh before Eid-ul-Fitr.
“We also would like to thank particularly UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK Home Office, UK Border Agency, London Heathrow Airport Authorities and Biman Bangladesh Airlines for their tremendous support to ensure the safe return of the stranded Bangladeshis during this difficult time of unprecedented coronavirus pandemic," said the High Commissioner.
(Source: UNB)
