The government spent Taka 2.3 crore to ferry 312 stranded Bangladeshi from Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of deadly coronavirus, to Dhaka on Saturday.
“Biman Bangladesh Airlines spent Taka 2.3 crore as it had operated a special dedicated flight through its Boeing 777-300 ER to bring back the Bangladeshis from Wuhan,” stated a press release issued by Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry on Monday.
The flight named “Rescue Ferry BG-7002” with 15 crew members and four physicians took off Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) for Chinese city of Wuhan on Friday evening and returned back at HSIA on Saturday noon carrying 312 Bangladeshis – 297 adults, 12 children and 3 infants.
Just after arrival here, the authorities shifted eight returnees to hospitals for observation and rest to Ashkona Hajj Camp directly from the airport, where they will be kept as quarantine for the next 14 days. Since the outbreak of the virus, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had directed the foreign ministry to initiate steps to bring back those Bangladeshis specially the students residing in China who are ‘willing to return’.
The government had brought back those Bangladeshis who were stranded in only Wuhan city as well as registered their names with Bangladesh embassy in Beijing, showing their willingness to return home. Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam on same day said, the government will also bring back 171 more ‘willing to return’ Bangladeshis upon clearance from the Chinese authorities.
The government has proved all necessities of the returned Bangladeshis who are now quarantine in Hajji camp while physicians are constantly monitoring them, said the release. The World Health Organization had declared a global emergency over the new coronavirus as China’s death toll from the virus epidemic soared past 360 on Monday.