A total of 170 Bangladeshi nationals have been repatriated from Libya on Wednesday.
They arrived at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 5:20am on a Burak Air flight, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The repatriation was coordinated by the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Most of the returnees had entered Libya with the intention of traveling illegally to Europe via human traffickers, and many had experienced abductions and abuse during their stay, said a press release.
Officials from the foreign ministry and the IOM welcomed the returnees at the airport and requested that they share their difficult experiences to raise public awareness.
Each returnee received travel allowances, food supplies, basic medical care, and temporary shelter from the IOM.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the International Organization for Migration are jointly working to ensure the safe return of Bangladeshi nationals held in different detention centers in Libya.