285 Australian citizens and 257 Canadian citizens left the country on two special chartered flights.
The 285 Australian citizens left for Melbourne, Australia by a special chartered flight of Sri Lankan Airlines, which departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 8:30pm Thursday amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Mohammad Sohel Kamruzzaman, public relations officer of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) confirmed the matter and said, 30 Bangladeshis have returned from Sri Lanka on the same flight.
Meanwhile 257 Canadian citizens left for Toronto at 9:03pm on Qatar Airways’ second special flight. The first flight left with 214 Canadian citizens on Tuesday.
Australian High Commissioner Jeremy Bruer, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud bin Momen and other officials were present at the airport to ensure that the process ran smoothly, said a press release published by the Australian High Commission.
“With most flights to and from Bangladesh being suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic, many Australians approached us looking for a way to return to Australia, so they could reunite with family members or meet work commitments,” said the High Commissioner.
“Thanks to Sri Lankan Airlines, we found a solution,” he added.
The High Commissioner thanked the Bangladesh Government, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, local law enforcement agencies and airport officials for their support, without which the flight would not have been possible.
