A total of 170 Bangladeshis seeking voluntary repatriation were brought back to the country from Benghazi, Libya, on a Burak Air flight that arrived in Dhaka at 5:00am today.

The repatriation programme was carried out through the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, in cooperation with the Libyan government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Most of the returnees reportedly entered Libya illegally with the assistance of human traffickers in an attempt to reach Europe by sea.

Many of them alleged that they were subjected to kidnapping and torture at different times while staying in Libya.

Officials from the foreign affairs ministry and other relevant ministries, along with IOM representatives, received the repatriated Bangladeshis at the airport.

The foreign ministry requested the returnees to share their experiences with others to raise awareness about the risks of human trafficking and irregular migration.

The IOM provided each returnee with travel allowance, food supplies, primary medical care, and temporary shelter arrangements if needed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the IOM are jointly working to safely repatriate Bangladeshis detained at different detention centres across Libya.