A group of 175 irregular Bangladeshi nationals was brought back home from Libya today through a coordinated effort of the government and the International Organization for Migration.
The returned, who had been residing in Libya without legal status, arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 6:15am Thursday on a special flight of Buraq Air from Benghazi, said a foreign ministry鈥檚 press release.
Most of the returned had entered Libya through human traffickers who lured them with false promises of migrating to Europe by sea. Many of them had endured abduction, torture and exploitation while in Libya.
Officials from foreign, expatriates鈥� welfare and overseas employment ministries and the IOM received the returned at the airport.
The officials urged them to share their painful experiences with others in order to raise awareness against the dangers of irregular migration.
Each of the returnees was provided with travel allowances, food items, basic healthcare services and temporary shelter support by the IOM.
The foreign ministry said that it had been working in close coordination with the Bangladesh embassy in Libya, the expatriates鈥� welfare ministry and the IOM to ensure the safe repatriation of Bangladeshis held in detention centres in Libya.
鈥楤angladesh remains committed to protecting its citizens abroad and will continue to take all possible steps, in cooperation with international partners, to combat human trafficking and irregular migration,鈥� said the release.
