Out of Kabul: A dozen Bangladeshis now in Qatar

The 12 Bangladeshis and 160 Afghan students evacuated from Afghanistan to Qatar on Saturday have been under quarantine at a US base in Doha.

Their quarantine period will be determined by their health status following the RT-PCR test, a source familiar with the evacuation process told The Daily Star yesterday.

They will be brought to Bangladesh following the quarantine period, he said.

The Bangladeshis and the female Afghan students of the Asian University for Women in Chattogram were evacuated with the help of the US and the United Nations from Kabul.

Their flights were cancelled initially after the Taliban's seizing control of Afghanistan on August 15 as thousands of foreigners and Afghans rushed to flee the country in fear of Taliban rule.

Later, on August 26, their flights were again cancelled as two bomb blasts killed nearly 100 Afghans and US troops. Finally, the 12 Bangladeshis and Afghan students were evacuated to Doha on August 28.

Of the total of 12 Bangladeshi officials of BRAC International, nine were already brought back home. Still, there are three BRAC officials in Kabul. BRAC said they were safe and will be repatriated soon.

Some six other Bangladeshis were still known to be stranded in Afghanistan but foreign ministry officials said they have yet to approach the Bangladesh authorities for evacuation.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry said they are in regular contact with the stranded Bangladesh nationals and has taken every measure for their safe and orderly departure.

"It is expected that the development workers can return to Afghanistan once conducive environment is restored," said a foreign ministry statement yesterday.