First batch of 136 Bangladeshi nationals returns home from Sudan
Staff Reporter :
The first batch of 136 Bangladeshi nationals who were stranded in Sudan due to internal conflicts returned to the country via Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Monday.
They arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 10:25 am. Upon their arrival, they were welcomed by Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Imran Ahmad flanked by other high officials.
According to Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 136 Bangladeshi expatriates were brought back to Bangladesh on flight BG336 from Jeddah at 10:25am.
Before their arrival, they were temporarily housed in Jeddah with the assistance of the Bangladesh Embassy and the Saudi government, sources said.
According to the Foreign Ministry, during the first phase of evacuations from Sudan, priority was given to women, children, and those who were sick.
However, the expatriate minister said that the government would provide all sorts of assistance including financial support and jobs for those who would return home amid this conflicting situation in Sudan.
He further said that the rest of the Bangladeshis would also be brought back home in phases through coordination of the concerned stakeholders including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the Foreign Ministry, around 1,500 Bangladeshis are reportedly staying in Sudan. Soon after the conflicts between Sudanese Army and Rapid Support Forces, the fierce violence spread across the country, killing many people there.
The conflicts pushed the nationals of other countries to evacuate the war-torn Sudan. Even the Bangladesh Embassy in Sudan came under attack on April 15, which forced the Ambassador Tarek Ahmed to move to safe place from Khartoum.
Even the residence of the Ambassador was bullet hit after a week of the first attack. However, none was reported hurt by such attacks.
Foreign Ministry sources said, on May 2, over 680 out of the 1,500 Bangladeshis in Sudan departed from Khartoum to Port Sudan as part of an evacuation plan facilitated by the Bangladesh Embassy. During their evacuation, they have been temporarily housed at a local madrasah. Meanwhile, upon the arrival of the first batch of Bangladeshis from Sudan, the Expatriate Minister said that the government would provide necessary financial supports to the returnee.
He also said that the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) would also stand beside them.
“Our preliminary aim is to alleviate the inconveniences faced by these people,” he told the media.
Assuring them not to worry, he said, “Even though you have lost everything in Sudan, you have made significant contributions to our country. We understand that you are returning empty-handed, but please rest assured that we are here to provide help and support.”
Upon their arrival, the returning individuals were given hot meals and refreshments, as well as an allowance for onward transportation from both the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board (Tk 3,000) and IOM (Tk 2,000). This facilitated their safe return to their respective hometowns.
On April 30, State Minister for Foreign Ministry Md Shahriar Alam told the journalists that the government would prepare a datasheet of the returnees from Sudan so that it can do something for these people by providing jobs or other assistance.
During the press conference he also urged all the Bangladeshi nationals stranded in the worn-torn Sudan to register their names for returning home.
Following the pre-registration process, the government is now taking them back home in phases.
