The government is yet to finalise any move to bring back hundreds of Bangladeshi patients who are now passing hard times in India.
According to foreign ministry sources, Bangladesh High Commission in India has recently sent a list of over 300 Bangladeshis who are now stranded in the neighbouring country.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said his ministry is concerned about the issue and planning to bring them back on chartered flights.
However, no progress has been made to this effect until Wednesday.
When contacted, Bangladesh High Commissioner in Delhi Mohammad Imran told the FE his mission is in regular contact with the Bangladeshis stuck in India.
“But I cannot say when they will be brought back”, he said, citing a number of complications.
“Having them gathered in one place is difficult. Most of them are staying in the southern part of India, mainly in Bangalore and Chennai”, he said.
Bangladesh Bank has extended their credit card limits and we are now arranging their visa extension, he added.
Around 1,000 Bangladeshis are stranded in India as the country imposed a nationwide lockdown over coronavirus outbreak.
Md Khalilur Rahaman, director general and in-charge of the Corona Affairs with the Foreign Ministry told the FE that the ministry is concerned with this issue and they are in regular discussion to find a way.
“We have also talked to Bangladesh Biman as we need to charter a flight” he said.
However, responding to a question he mentioned that the decision regarding when and how these Bangladeshis will be brought back is yet to be finalised.
Many of these Bangladeshi patients have revealed on social media how badly they are passing their days in different cities in India.
Many of them now ran out of money and cannot buy their daily food properly.
Since India is enforcing lockdown they cannot come to land borders in Benapole or Satkhira from cities like Chennai or Bengalore which are far away from Indo-Bangl border.
Many Bangladeshis who were in Kolkata or nearby cities managed to enter Bangladesh through land border in the last couple of weeks.
