Lockdown obstructs evacuation of Bangladeshis from Wuhan, says Momen

Bangladeshi expatriates in Wuhan, the epicentre of coronavirus outbreak, cannot be brought back at this time due to a lockdown imposed by China, despite preparations taken by Bangladesh, said Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 28 Jan 2020, 10:15 AM
Updated : 28 Jan 2020, 10:15 AM

“About 500 of our students live in Wuhan. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered arrangements for anyone willing to return,” Minister Momen told reporters at the end of a programme in Dhaka on Tuesday.

“We made plans for their return but China told us that no one would be allowed to leave the area for the next two weeks or a minimum of 14 days.”

China has responded similarly to requests made by other countries, including India and US, for repatriation of their citizens, he said.

“China has imposed a complete lockdown. The authorities took the residents somewhere to shop and then brought them back.”

The health commission of China's Hubei province said on Tuesday that about 100 people had died from the virus as of Jan 27, according to an online statement, up from the previous toll of 76, with the number of confirmed cases in the province rose to 2,714.

Global stocks fell, oil prices hit three-month lows, and China's yuan dipped to its weakest level in 2020 as investors fretted about damage to the world's second-biggest economy from travel bans and the Lunar New Year holiday, which China extended in a bid to keep people at home.

“Constant discussions” are being held with 245 Bangladeshis through an open ‘webpage’ created for Bangladeshi students and researchers in Wuhan, Momen said.

Urging everyone to stay alert while travelling to China, he said Bangladesh is monitoring those arriving in the country from China and its neighbouring countries.

“We will monitor everyone arriving from those areas. We will record their details, including names and addresses, so that we can identify the cause if anything happens.”