264 UK, 154 Turkey citizens leave Dhaka

A total of 264 UK and 154 Turkey citizens left Dhaka on special flights yesterday afternoon. They had opted to return home amid the Covid-19 outbreak, for which their governments arranged their return flights home.

A special chartered flight of the British Airways carrying the UK citizens left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 3:49pm, Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan, director, HSIA, told The Daily Star.

Among the UK-bound, were 10 infants and a few Bangladeshis who are permanent residents in the UK.

Earlier in the day, a special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines had ferried around 157 UK citizens from Sylhet to Dhaka, said the HSIA director.

Meanwhile, 154 Turkey citizens left Dhaka for Ankara on a special flight of Turkish Airlines at 1:12pm, an official of the Aviation Security (AVSEC), HSIA, told The Daily Star.

In the last 26 days since March 26, citizens of various countries including USA, Russia, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Bhutan, Germany and several other EU countries, left Dhaka through chartered flights amid the outbreak.

Besides, sources at the airport said, the 4th chartered flight for US citizens arranged by the US Department of State and US embassy in Dhaka was also scheduled to leave HSIA last night for Washington, DC.