A total of 71 Bangladeshi nationals who were stranded in Lebanese capital city Beirut have returned home on Wednesday morning.
A Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) aircraft, which handed over relief materials in Lebanon, landed at Hazrat Shajalal International Airport at 7:15am with the repatriated Bangladeshis.
Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) Assistant Director Nur Islam confirmed the news to The Business Post.
The flight was supposed to carry back 73 Bangladeshis from Beirut and was scheduled to arrive at 5am, he said. However, it landed with 71 instead of 73 stranded Bangladeshis at 7:15am Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Bangladesh sent "emergency supplies" to Lebanon for the people of Beirut as a token of friendship who are trying to recover from the damage caused by the huge twin explosions.
Bangladesh Air Force carried a C130 full of emergency supplies which reached Beirut on Monday.
The goodwill aid included nine tonnes of food items, two tonnes of medicines and medical supplies, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The transport aircraft of Bangladesh Air Force carrying the goodwill aid; and four high-level officers of Bangladesh Navy, an officer of Bangladesh Army and 12 crew member of Bangladesh Air Force reached Rafic Hariri International Airport, Beirut, Lebanon on Monday.
Five Bangladeshi nationals were killed and more than 100 including 21 members of Bangladesh Navy injured in the explosions that left more than 160 people dead, more than 6,000 injured and over 300,000 homeless.
Bangladesh Navy's warship, BNS Bijoy which patrols Lebanese water territory under UNIFIL, was partially damaged.
Some 1,50,000 Bangladesh nationals work in a number of sectors in Lebanon.
