More foreigners to leave Bangladesh

More foreigners are likely to leave Bangladesh on special arrangements soon amid the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Japanese Commerce and Industry Association and Japanese Association arranged a chartered flight to operate on April 2, diplomatic sources said, adding that Biman Bangladesh Airlines would operate the flight.

Scores of Japanese people including a few diplomats are likely to leave Dhaka by availing the flight, a diplomat said.

The number of passengers ‘is not yet confirmed,’ a diploma said, while a Biman Bangladesh Airlines official said they were expecting nearly 330 passengers on the flight set to fly for Japan on April 2.

Their departure might slightly hamper the development projects as most of them work in different projects implemented under Japanese development aid, an official said.

A section South Korean people are also assessing the necessity for leaving Bangladesh, another diplomatic source said. ‘We are observing the situation,’ said a South Korean in Dhaka on Tuesday.

A good number of British people and citizens of some European and West Asian countries, including KSA and the UAE, already left Dhaka in the second half of March.

A total of 269 Americans and a few US diplomats left Dhaka on Monday by a chartered Qatar Airways flight.

The number of diplomats who left Dhaka on Monday was less than 10.

At least one more special flight is likely to be arranged to facilitate scores of more Americans and their family members to leave Dhaka, an official said, adding that the process of registration was continuing on Monday.

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said that the government would facilitate travel of foreigners if they want to avail chartered flights at their own cost. (Source: New Age)