Bangladesh working to evacuate 700 nationals from Sudan

Diplomatic Correspondent  :
In the midst of the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Bangladesh is repatriating its citizens from the war-torn country.

Over 1,500 Bangladeshis are currently in Sudan, with around 700 expressing a desire to return to home due to the escalating violence, Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
Since April 15, there has been ongoing conflict between the Sudanese military and members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a semi-military force in Sudan. The conflict has taken a dangerous turn in the past two weeks, with over 400 people killed so far. Among the casualties are not only semi-military personnel but also United Nations workers and an Egyptian assistant defense advisor. The Bangladeshi government has already begun the process of repatriating its citizens, with the Bangladeshi ambassador in Sudan arranging for nine buses to transport the nationals from Khartoum and surrounding areas to Port Sudan, located 850 kilometers away, the ministry said.

From there, the Saudi government has promised to provide free ships of the Saudi Navy to transport Bangladeshis from Port Sudan to Port Jeddah, it stated.
It is hoped that there will be no physical problems for expatriates after the nearly 12-hour journey from Khartoum to Port Sudan.

The ambassador is stationed in Port Sudan to facilitate the process, with a team from the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah arriving in Sudan to assist with the repatriation process.

Temporary accommodation, food, water, medicine, and shelter have been arranged for Sudanese expatriates in two Bangladeshi schools in Jeddah, and the Bangladesh Embassy is also arranging for their basic needs in Port Sudan.

The process of returning the Bangladeshis to Dhaka on a special flight will begin once they arrive in Jeddah on May 3 or 4.

Following the instructions of the Foreign Ministry, the ambassador of Bangladesh in Saudi Arabia, the Consul General of Bangladesh in Jeddah, and the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are working diligently on this issue.

“We believe that with everyone’s sincere efforts, the repatriation of Bangladeshi expatriates will be successfully completed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is committed to ensuring the safety of Bangladeshi expatriates in Sudan and ensuring their safe and timely return to the country,” it added.

Meanwhile, considering the gravity of the situation in Sudan, Foreign Ministry will hold a press briefing today (Sunday) to inform more about the situation in Sudan and Bangladeshi nationals stranded there. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Sahriar Alam will spoke with the journalists.