175 Bangladeshis return from Libya

As many as 175 undocumented Bangladesh migrants returned to the country from detention centres in Libya early morning on Wednesday.

They landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on a flight operated by the Libyan airliner Buraq Air at 6:25am, said a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Among the undocumented migrants, 113 were being held at Tajura Detention Centre in Tripoli and the rest at Ganfuda Detention Centre in Benghazi.

The Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, Libya government and the International Organization of Migration (IOM) cooperated to facilitate the repatriation.

The foreign ministry, said citing sources, that most of the returnees illegally entered Libya in the hopes of reaching Europe via illegal sea voyages from Libyan shores. They were allegedly lured and assisted by human traffickers.

Later, upon entering Libya, many allegedly ended up facing abduction and torture at the hands of local criminals, the ministry said.