46 deportees return from Indonesia

At least 46 Bangladeshis, who were rescued by Indonesian police from a house in crammed situation in Medan of Sumatra Island in the first week of February, returned home early yesterday.

“Forty-six of us flew to Malaysia from Indonesia. From there, nine flew in one flight and others were put on another,” said 19-year-old Moniruzzaman, one of the deportees.

The flights carrying them reached Dhaka airport in the early hours yesterday, said Tanvir Hossain, assistant director of the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training posted at Expatriates' Welfare Desk at the airport.

“They went to Indonesia by tourist visas and their ultimate destination was Malaysia,” he said.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Indonesia Maj Gen Azmal Kabir said 290 Bangladeshis were rescued by Indonesian police on February 6, and then detained.

Two Bangladeshi officials visited them and confirmed their identities. All of them -- except for three -- had machine-readable Bangladeshi passports, he told The Daily Star by phone yesterday.

“Those who were able to manage money from their relatives for air ticket are flying home,” he said, adding, he has written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka asking how those who are unable to manage air ticket would be repatriated.