265 Bangladeshis back home from Indonesia, UK

A total of 265 Bangladeshi citizens stranded in Indonesia and the UK returned home today on two special flights of Lion Air and Biman Bangladesh Airlines respectively.

They had been stranded following suspension of international flights amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

Meanwhile, 304 citizens of Indonesia and India stranded in Bangladesh left Dhaka for their respective countries on two separate special flights, sources at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport said.

Moreover, 234 Korean citizens who were also stranded in Bangladesh are scheduled to leave the capital tonight, Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan, director, HSIA, told the media.

Of the 265 Bangladeshi returnees, 151 landed at the Dhaka airport from Jakarta at 12:00pm on a special flight of Lion Air, said the HSIA director.

A special Biman flight landed at the Dhaka airport from UK around 9:40am carrying 114 stranded Bangladeshis, most of whom are students.

The return flight of Lion Air departed from HSIA for Jakarta at around 1:15pm carrying 197 passengers.

A total of 107 Indian nationals left Dhaka by a special flight of Air India at around 4:20pm, sources at HSIA said.

Since March 16, Bangladesh has suspended regular passenger flights with all countries except China till May 16 to contain the spread of coronavirus.