Twenty Bangladeshi nationals, who had been held in Myanmar for several months, began their journey home on Sunday aboard a Bangladesh Navy ship from MITT Port in Yangon. They are expected to arrive in Chittagong on Tuesday afternoon.

According to a press release from Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the individuals were detained by Myanmar authorities after being trafficked toward Malaysia by unscrupulous agents. The arrest was made on charges of illegal trespassing.

Following diplomatic discussions and confirmation of their Bangladeshi citizenship, the Bangladesh Embassy in Myanmar arranged their repatriation.

The same naval vessel, BNS Somudra Avijan, also carried back the 55-member Bangladesh Search and Rescue (SAR) and Medical Team. The team had spent 10 days in Myanmar, delivering humanitarian aid to communities affected by a recent earthquake.

Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Myanmar, Dr. M Monwar Hossain, was present at the port during the handover. He praised the SAR team for strengthening Bangladesh’s image through their relief work and advised citizens to remain vigilant when seeking jobs abroad to avoid falling victim to trafficking or fraudulent employment schemes.

Over the past two years, the Bangladesh Embassy in Myanmar has successfully repatriated 352 nationals, including 85 in the last such operation on September 28.

Officers from the embassy were on-site to facilitate coordination with Myanmar authorities, verify identities, and issue travel permits.

BNS Somudra Avijan had arrived in Yangon on Friday with 120 metric tons of humanitarian aid for earthquake-affected areas in Myanmar.

BOB Post