BD Government declines to pull out all Bangladeshis from Libya

BD Government declines to pull out all Bangladeshis from Libya

Dr. Shamimul Moula, Ph.D.

Dhaka, 28 February (Scoop news)

Bangladesh Government has no plan to pullout all Bangladeshi Citizens from Libya at this moment. Only 101 Bangladeshi has returned from Libya till date. Till now safe shelters have been arranged for 8800 Bangladeshis within Libya.

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mr. Mijarul Kayes has informed the information to the journalists yesterday in an press conference at Dhaka. Foreign Secretary said, the situation is slowly improving as Bangladesh Government is assuming! Red-cross has started their function in the Eastern parts of Libya including in Benghazi. Shops and stores are also started to open for selling day o day commodities. So, in this situation BD Government is not thinking to pullout all of its working people out of Libya. BD Government is now emphasizing on their comparatively safe shelters within Libya.

As the latest news regarding the matter from BD Government, the Foreign Secretary informed that about 3500 Bangladeshi citizens reached Egyptian border, among them till now about a thousand has been issued with travel permit to Egypt. About 804 Bangladeshi from Libya already appeared at the Crete island of Greece and they were kept in hotels! Korean Daweoo Company is evacuating about 2000 Bangladeshi workers from Libya working at their company. they will be at Greece on 3rd March! Also Korean Company Hanil is evacuating 1500 of their Bangladeshi workers to Tunisia.  Arrival of  some Bangladeshi elements have been also reported from Malta. Foreign Secretary also informed that about 700 Bangladeshis have been planned to evacuate to Tunisia from Tripoli Airport through land transport.  A total of 8800 Bangladeshi citizens have been assured with safe shelters within the Libya. They will be brought to Bangladesh in suitable times.

The Foreign Secretary refused the information of sending of the Bangladesh Navy vessels to evacuate the Bangladeshi citizens from Libya, he told that it was not a correct news, no Naval ship was sent for this purpose. He also informed that Bangladesh Naval detachments have been working in UN Peace Mission in Lebanon region and they have their own ships with them. However he informed the journalists that those ships could be utilized at need.

He informed BD Government thinks that the incidences in Libya are the internal matter of that country. Secretary Expatriate Worker Welfare Mr. Zafar Ahmed khan was also present in the press conference.

In another improvement of the issue, the US Ambassador to Bangladesh Mr. James F Maryarti met and conferred with the BD Foreign Secretary yesterday 28 February. After the meet, the US Ambassador informed the journalists that they talked about UN Human Rights issues and Libyan matters. He told that Libya is now abusing human rights in every steps, so Libya should be removed from UN Human Rights Council. The ambassador declined to answer clearly whether US could help to evacuate stranded Bangladeshis in Libya, however if such request has been made, he would inform that to Washington!