By Mizan Rahman
Dhaka
Bangladesh yesterday expressed its gratitude to India for its gesture in rescuing its nationals trapped in Yemen.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said the Indian gesture reflects the depth of existing bilateral relations and co-operation between the two countries.
A total of 337 Bangladeshis, who were evacuated from war-torn Yemen last week, returned home from India yesterday.
Two special flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines brought them home.
Earlier, two Indian Navy ships - MV Kavaratti and MV Corals - with the citizens of India and Bangladesh left the African country, Djibouti, for Kochi port in India on April 12.
These 337 Bangladesh nationals were first evacuated from Saana, Hodeida and Aden by Indian naval ships (INS) and brought to Kochi by two Indian passenger ships for their eventual repatriation to
Bangladesh.
Among them, 272 were on board MV Corals, and 65 were in another ship, MV Kavaratti, according to the foreign
ministry in Dhaka.
The foreign ministry has been conducting repatriation of Bangladeshis stranded in the war-torn Yemen at the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and under the direct supervision of Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali.
Another batch of 136 Bangladeshi nationals, including five women and five children who were evacuated from Hodeida in Yemen on April 15 by Indian naval ship Sumitra and reached Djibouti on April 16, are now awaiting their final repatriation.
The ministry of foreign affairs is arranging the onward journey of the 136 Bangladeshis from Djibouti to Dhaka by special flight, which is scheduled to operate today.
