269 US citizens leave Dhaka on special flight
A total of 269 US citizens left Dhaka this evening on a special flight arranged by the US government for those who opted to return home on their personal choice amid the outbreak of COVID-19.
The special chartered flight of Qatar Airlines left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 6:05pm, Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan, director of HSIA, said.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The flight carrying the US citizens, including some expatriate Bangladeshis residing permanently in the USA, will arrive at Dulles International Airport, Washington D.C. via Doha, Qatar.
The passengers will remain on the airplane in Doha.
Although 423 US citizens were supposed to fly to USA, 154 of them chose not to return to their country, sources at the airport said.
USA is taking this kind of arrangement for nearly 10,000 US citizens from 28 countries around the globe, according to the US embassy in Dhaka.
With 136,880 total cases, the US has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world -- ahead of Italy, China and Spain.
The western superpower has so far witnessed 1,891 Covid-19 related deaths.
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