Dhaka:A total of 172 Bangladeshi nationals have voluntarily returned home from Libya, arriving early Thursday morning. They landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 451 am on a Buraq Airlines flight from Misrata.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the return was facilitated by the Libyan government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in coordination with Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya.
Most of these individuals had entered Libya after being lured by human traffickers, with intentions to illegally travel to Europe by sea. During their time in Libya, many reportedly experienced kidnapping and torture.
Upon their arrival in Dhaka, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant ministries, along with IOM representatives, welcomed the returnees at the airport. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged the returnees to share their experiences to increase public awareness about the dangers of irregular migration.
The IOM provided each returnee with travel expenses, food items, primary healthcare, and temporary accommodation if necessary. Efforts by the ministries, the Bangladesh mission in Tripoli, and the IOM are ongoing to ensure the safe repatriation of other Bangladeshi nationals detained in various detention centers in Libya.