366 Bangladeshi nationals return from Saudi Arabia

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DHAKA, April 15, 2020 (BSS)– A total of 366 Bangladeshi nationals, including some stranded Umrah pilgrims along with expatriate workers, arrived here today from Saudi Arabia by a special chartered flight tonight.

A special flight of Saudia Airline SV 3806 landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 9:20 pm tonight carrying 366 Bangladeshi citizens, a spokesperson of Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) told media here.

Earlier, foreign minister Dr A K Abdul Momen told BSS that of the 366 returnees, nearly 200 were in Saudi prisons, 132 stranded Umrah pilgrims and the rest of them undocumented workers.

He said the Saudi Arabian government was bearing the cost of the chartered flight to send back the Bangladeshi nationals here.

After arriving here, he said all returnee workers will undergo a medical checkup at the airport and to be sent to 14-day institutional quarantine under management of the Armed Forces Division (AFD).

As per the government decision, the returnee expatriate workers will receive Taka 5000 on arrival at the airport.

Besides, the expatriate welfare ministry will provide loans up to Taka 700,000 from 500,000 upon return of jobless expatriate workers here from different countries amid COVID-19 pandemic to enable them pursue viable economic activities especially in agriculture sector.