Bangladesh has successfully repatriated 168 nationals who were detained at a center in Benghazi, Libya, as part of its ongoing efforts to bring home Bangladeshis stranded or held in the North African country.

On Tuesday, the returnees, previously detained at the Ganfuda Detention Centre, landed in Dhaka at 10:04 am aboard a Buraq Air flight (UZ-222), as reported by the foreign ministry.

The repatriation was facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment with support from the Libyan government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Most of the returnees had reportedly entered Libya irregularly with the assistance and encouragement of human traffickers in an attempt to reach Europe by sea, said the release. 

Many of them alleged that they had suffered abduction and torture at different times during their stay in Libya, it added. 

Officials from the foreign ministry, other relevant ministries, and the IOM received the returnees at the airport.

The foreign ministry urged them to share their distressing experiences with others to raise public awareness about the dangers of irregular migration and human trafficking.

The IOM provided each returnee with travel expenses, food assistance, and primary healthcare, while temporary accommodation was also arranged where necessary.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the IOM are continuing coordinated efforts to safely repatriate Bangladeshi nationals detained at different centers in Libya.