27 Bangladeshi survivors may return Thursday

A total of 27 Bangladeshis, who survived a boat sinking off Libyan coast on August 24, may return home on Thursday.

The rescued migrants may reach Dhaka from Libya by a Turkish Airline flight, ASM Ashraful Islam, counsellor (labour) at Bangladesh embassy in Libya, told The Daily Star on Saturday.

"The Bangladeshis are now staying safe. The International Organization for Migration has agreed to help repatriate them," he mentioned.

These Bangladeshis are part of some 500 migrants from Asia, Africa and Middle East who were on board two vessels that sank after leaving Zuwara off the Libyan coast for Italy amid internal conflicts among rival governments in the North African country.

A total of 78 Bangladeshis were on board. Of them, 24 died and 54 were rescued. Of the 54, 43 have been kept in a Tripoli detention centre and the other 11, including women and children, had been freed.

Of the 43 Bangladeshis in the detention camp, some others still do not want to return home, Ashraful said.