241 Bangladeshi citizens have returned home from Egypt and Maldives, where they were stranded due to Covid-19 forced flight suspensions.
A special flight of Maldivian Airlines landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) with 200 Bangladeshis at 5:30pm on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, another 41Bangladeshi nationals were brought back from Egypt’s Cairo by a special chartered flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
Tahera Khondoker, deputy general manager (public relations) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune.
The Biman spokesperson said: “The flight from Cairo landed at Dhaka airport around 7:30am.”
All were sent into home quarantine after thermal screening at the airport, said an airport health official.
More airlines get permission to fly
Malindo Air, owned by Lion Air Group of Malaysia, and Mihin Lanka of the Sri Lankan government, have received permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) to operate flights from Bangladesh.
They are expected to start from Tuesday, sources said.
However, only Malaysian nationals, Malaysian residency permit holders, students, and transit passengers will be able to travel by the airlines. Bangladeshi workers won’t be allowed to return to work in Malaysia, added CAAB sources.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far facilitated the repatriation of stranded Bangladeshis from China, India, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Oman, and Turkey. Flights have brought back many pilgrims, students, tourists, patients and their attendants, and businessmen.
The ministry said they are fully committed to working under the guidance of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, particularly through the critical times of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.