24,600 migrant workers left the country since April 17: CAAB
A total of around 24,600 migrant
workers have left the country for their respective workplaces in five
countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and UAE, in the last five days
since April 17 via special flights.
Air Vice-Marshal M Mafidur
Rahman, Chairman, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, told.
In an inter-ministerial meeting
on April 16, the government decided to operate around 100 special flights to
Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, UAE, and Singapore in one week from April 17 so that
several thousand migrant workers who remained stuck in the country due to a
weeklong ban on international flights, can return to their workplaces.
Twelve airlines were allowed to
operate direct flights to these five countries. They are: Biman Bangladesh
Airlines, US Bangla Airlines, Saudia, Oman Air, Salam Air, Qatar Airways,
Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, Fly Dubai, and Singapore Airlines.
The government, on April 11,
suspended operations of all international passenger flights to and from
Bangladesh for a week from April 14 to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Due to the extension of
countrywide strict lockdown by another week from April 21, CAAB also extended
the operation of special flights till April 28.
Recently, CAAB also allowed
airlines to operate direct flights to China, considering the need for
Bangladeshi passengers.
According to the Bangladesh
Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) and Association of
Travel Agents of Bangladesh (Atab), about 20,000 to 25,000 aspiring migrant
workers were supposed to catch their due flights in a week starting from April
14.