Scores of Americans leave Dhaka today
Scores of US citizens, their families and a few US diplomats will leave Dhaka today by a chartered commercial flight amid coronavirus (COVID-19), a global pandemic, according to the US Embassy.
The embassy has not disclosed as to how many American citizens and their families were set to avail the flight.
‘It will be a chartered aircraft… It will be full,’ a US embassy spokesperson said in a virtual briefing on Sunday afternoon.
The process for registration and granting confirmation for travel was on till filing this report on Sunday evening, diplomatic sources said.
The flight will include a Dhaka to Doha of Qatar leg and an onward connecting flight to Dulles International Airport, Washington DC, and the passengers will remain on the airplane in Dhaka.
The US Department of State and the US Embassy in Bangladesh arranged the flight.
The embassy, however, did not disclose exact departure time as ‘routing of this chartered flight are subject to change,’ according to an announcement made at the embassy website.
Confirmed travellers of the special flight will require to reach the designated departure terminal at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport hours before the usual reporting time meant for regular commercial flights as they might undergo medical check-ups before completing paperwork for boarding.
Asked about the reasons of leaving Bangladesh amid deteriorating COVID-19 situation in the US, the US Embassy officials said that it was personal choice of the individuals. ‘People want to stay with their families; diplomats too.’
They described the departure of the US citizens as a ‘temporary measure’ due to non-availability of long-term support for staying indefinite period in their respective host countries.
The US government repatriated over 10,000 citizens and their families from 28 countries. (Source: New Age)