A total of 174 Bangladeshi nationals previously detained in Libya have returned home. They arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at about 6am on Tuesday aboard Buraq Air flight UZ-222. The returnees included three women, one child and 15 people who were ill.

They were repatriated safely and humanely from the Ganfuda detention centre in Benghazi through an initiative of the Bangladesh Embassy, with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The operation enabled the group to return to Bangladesh after spending an extended period in detention.

According to the report, the Bangladeshis had attempted to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean through irregular routes in search of a better life. They were rescued or detained during sea journeys and subsequently spent a long period in harsh conditions at Libya’s Ganfuda detention centre.