A batch of 47 Bangladeshi nationals, earlier trafficked into Thailand by sea, return home at 7.30 pm on Monday by Biman Bangladesh airlines flight BG 089.Among the returnees, 10 hail from Jessore, nine from Sunamganj, another nine from Sirajganj, six from Jhenidah; two each from Narsingdi, Mymensingh, Meherpur, and Cox’s Bazar; and one each from Tangail, Faridpur, Shariatpur, Madaripur, and Bogra districts, said a media release from Bangladesh Embassy in Thailand.The Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok will continue to interview the remaining 203 self-identified Bangladeshis around Thailand as per slots given by Thai government for their early repatriation to Bangladesh this month.As a special measure, the repatriation of the above 47 detained Bangladeshi nationals are being fully sponsored by the government of Bangladesh, which includes airfare, transportation from Suan Plu Immigration Detention Centre, Bangkok to Suvarnabhumi Airport and other expenses.Bangladesh Ambassador in Thailand Saida Muna Tasneem has been working in close cooperation with Thai government authorities to ensure successive repatriation of few more batches of 197 already verified Bangladeshi nationals by end-June.The Embassy of Bangladeshi in Bangkok with the active support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs of Bangladesh and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and Thai Immigration Bureau, has so far repatriated 872 Bangladeshi nationals trafficked into Thailand since late 2013.The Embassy also repatriated 33 Bangladeshi nationals since the discovery of mass grave along the Thailand-Malaysia border on May 1 this year.Since the May-1 mass grave discovery incident, Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand Saida Muna Tasneem visited Songkhla Province for the second time on June 10 with a Consular Team of the Embassy to interview and inquire about the well-being of 117 self-identified Bangladeshis most of whom have been freshly rescued since early May.
