Minister urges all Bangladeshi nationals in conflict-riven Sudan to return home

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam has urged all Bangladeshis in Sudan to return home amid fierce fighting between the army and a paramilitary force.

As many as 700 out of around 1,500 Bangladeshis have registered for evacuation, but objected to the pick-up point due to security concerns.

“Maybe those who haven’t registered yet are trying to stay there or have other plans. But it’s not safe,” Shahriar said after a meeting to discuss the plan to evacuate the Bangladeshis.

“It won’t be easy to travel to a third country like many did when the Ukraine war started. Khartoum is surrounded by deserts. A very tough place to survive.”

Shahriar said the Bangladeshi expatriates can contact the Bangladesh missions in Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia besides the officials of the embassy in Khartoum.

The officials in Khartoum left the embassy after it came under attack. They are staying out of the capital to facilitate the evacuation.

“Time will tell whether to bring back the embassy officials. But the situation is not favourable for a return to Khartoum.

The stranded Bangladeshis will be taken to Jeddah port in Saudi Arabia from Khartoum via Port Sudan. Several Biman Bangladesh Airlines flights will take them back to Dhaka.

The embassy arranged nine buses to transport the Bangladeshis to Sudan Port, which is 850 kilometres from Khartoum.

The Saudi government has promised to help Bangladesh by allowing it to use a vessel of the Saudi Royal Navy for the evacuation, according to the foreign ministry.

The government hopes it will be possible to take the Bangladeshi expatriates to Port Sudan by Tuesday and to Jeddah by Thursday.

“We’ll try to make the rest of the Bangladeshis realise the situation and bring 100-200 more of them to Port Sudan. We’ll try our best until the last Bangladeshi is evacuated,” Shahriar said.

Those having passports will be evacuated first and those having no valid documents will be given travel permits for evacuation by the next available vessel, he added.

The expatriate Bangladeshis said they think the intersection of Shariya Al Sittin and Madani Street which has been chosen as the pick-up point is not safe.

Anisur Rahman, president of Sudan-Bangladesh Friendship Association, said they would have only an hour to board the buses that were scheduled to arrive at the place at 4pm and leave at 5pm on Tuesday.

Also, the Rapid Support Forces, which is fighting the army, has a base near the intersection, he said. The paramilitary force barred Indians from using the route for evacuation, according to Anisur. “It’s not safe to wait on the street.”

Shahriar said the situation in Sudan is changing rapidly, making it unpredictable which place will remain safe.

“We’ve said that we’ll take responsibility once the Bangladeshis board the buses. We’ve made arrangements for that.”