Bangladesh on Tuesday evacuated its 23 nationals with the help of India through air and seaway from war-torn Yemen, said an official from African nation Djibouti. “We’ve evacuated them in three small groups through two Air India flights and ship from Yemen’s capital Sana’a and Al Hudaydah city,” Counsellor at the Bangladesh Embassy, Kuwait SM Mahbubul Alam told UNB. Alam, now in Djibouti, also said they earlier evacuated 10 Bangladesh nationals from Yemen. “All the Bangladesh nationals brought here so far are safe and sound. They’re staying in hotels,” he said. Responding to a question on sending a Biman flight to Yemen, he said he heard that Bangladesh got landing permission in Sana’a but not sure about Djibouti. Meanwhile, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) tweeted on Tuesday saying, “We’ll end our air evacuation efforts from Sana’a (Wednesday). All who want to avail of the opportunity should leave tomorrow.” Earlier, India informed that they would evacuate 16 more Bangladesh nationals from Sana’a, the capital of war-torn Yemen, to African nation Djibouti on Tuesday. Three Bangladesh nationals were evacuated by Air India from Sana’a to Djibouti on Monday, Indian High Commission in Dhaka tweeted on Tuesday. Bangladesh nationals in Sana’a were also advised to contact Indian Embassy there. In another tweet, the Indian High Commission said INS Tarkash, is a Talwar-class frigate constructed for the Indian Navy, is reaching port Al Hudaydah, Yemen today (Tuesday). “It’ll assist in evacuation of Bangladesh nationals.” India has so far received requests from 26 countries, including Bangladesh, for the country’s assistance in evacuation from Yemen, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. Earlier on Monday, BBC Bangla reported that some 60-70 Bangladesh nationals got stuck in Aden city of war-torn Yemen as the fight is going on there with rebels surrounding the city. Quoting Bangladesh national Emdadul Hossain, the report said the situation in Yemen is worsening fast. “At the house where live in Aden city people are staying with guns on its ground floor. They’re locals. They’ve taken position to counter Houthi,” the BBC report quoted Hossain as saying. It said some 50 people were killed in the war over the last 24 hours. Hossain also said bomb attacks are taking place within two-three kilometers of his residence. “We’re hearing the bomb blasts. We can’t come out of the house. There has been a water crisis. Shops and offices are closed. There’s no government or administration in Aden,” he said. He also said they are in touch with the officials of Bangladesh Embassy in Kuwait. “They’re informing us that they are finding ways to take us out from here.” Another Bangladeshi, Zahirul Islam Bulbul, who works in an export-import company in Yemen capital Sana’a said most of the shops and offices are closed and there is frequent power disruption. Quoting him, the BBC Bangla report said the Saudi air-strikes continued on government establishment and other places. “We’re not safe here.” A Bangladesh team from its mission in Kuwait is now in Djibouti and so far communicated with Bangladesh nationals in two cities — Aden and Sana’a in Yemen, according to an official at the Foreign Ministry here. Bangladeshis will be taken to Djibouti from Aden by ship and then be brought back home by air while Bangladesh nationals staying in Sana’a will be taken to Djibouti by air. Some 1500-3000 Bangladesh nationals are living in Yemen, and all of them are not interested to come back home, according to Foreign Ministry here. — Dhaka, Apr 7 (UNB)
