Bangladesh scraps plan to bring back 171 citizens from China amid coronavirus dread

In a surprising turn of events, Bangladesh has reportedly scrapped plans to bring back its 171 citizens stuck in China. This decision comes after it failed to arrange a flight to the coronavirus hit nation as its airlines’ staff refused to travel there. Meanwhile, the deadly virus has killed 811 and infected more than 37,000 people in China. 

Unable to send any flights to China

Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told international media that they cannot send any flights to the infected country as no member of the crew agreed to go there. He added that the government has advised all the Bangladeshi citizens stuck there to wait. Meanwhile, the government officials have revealed that there are 171 Bangladeshi citizens who wanted to return, reported PTI. 

Momen also denied the previous complaints of the stuck citizens of a dearth of food and water due to the lockdown adding that the Chinese authorities have been effectively providing food and water to all the 23 areas where the Bangladeshi people stay. He further said the Bangladeshi embassy is well in contact with the residents.

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According to a Bangladeshi Daily, the government has already spent a lot of time in efforts to bring its citizens back. However, it is still not possible to bring them back. The Biman crew members who brought back about 312 Bangladeshis from China are now in effect barred from flying to other countries, Momen said.

He also revealed that earlier the Chinese authorities agreed to do so but have later declined before saying that they are not able to send any flights there. According to a report, his comments came days after Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said that around 171 Bangladeshis would be flown out of Wuhan upon clearance from Chinese authorities.

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On February 1, State-run Biman Airlines' Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft brought back 312 Bangladeshis, including 12 children and three infants in the wake of the deadly coronavirus outbreak in China.