The government has so far facilitated the repatriation of 1,799 Bangladeshis stranded in different countries due to coronavirus outbreak, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.
The Bangladesh nationals were brought home from China, India, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Oman, and Turkey, including pilgrims, students, tourists, patients, attendants, and businessmen.
The government, through the foreign ministry, has also facilitated repatriation of 4422 foreigners living in Bangladesh, including Bhutan, Malaysia, United States, Japan, Russia, Germany, Canada, Australia, Maldives, Turkey, United Kingdom, and Singapore.
The foreigners who left mostly worked in various development projects and other professions whose projects are currently suspended.
Bangladeshi diplomatic missions abroad are instructed to look after the expatriate Bangladeshi community.
Under the guidance of the foreign ministry, the missions have established hotline numbers and many also formed pool of doctors to provide online medical advice to the expatriates.
The ministry has dispensed funds for the missions in coordination with the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment.
The missions distributed food and necessary items to members of the Bangladesh community living in different countries, particularly in the Middle East, with the allocated funds.
The foreign ministry, in cooperation with the army, has sent necessary materials to few countries including Bhutan, the Maldives, China, and Kuwait.
The foreign ministry has established a web page titled “COMBAT CORONA” on its website for providing telemedicine services, awareness-raising and disseminating Covid-19 related information which is also connected with hotlines of the missions abroad