23-7-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) In a swift response to the escalating tensions in Bangladesh, a special evacuation flight departed from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2 at 7.30 a.m. today, carrying a mission to bring back Malaysians stranded in the strife-torn nation. The directive for this crucial operation came directly from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, underscoring the government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad.
The AirAsia flight, utilizing an Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft capable of accommodating up to 350 passengers, is expected to touch down at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 9.20 a.m. (local time). Leading this critical mission is Shazelina Zainul Abidin, the undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry’s South and Central Asia division, who revealed that over 100 Malaysians, including students, had sought refuge at the Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka since yesterday.
“This evacuation mission has been planned since July 12 and is expected to take less than 12 hours. Once we got the green light from our high commissioner in Bangladesh, we secured the aircraft, but there was a slight delay because we were asked to wait to ensure that our students reached our high commission in Dhaka,” Shazelina told Bernama.
The evacuation flight is scheduled to depart from Dhaka at 10 a.m. (local time) and is expected to arrive back at KLIA Terminal 2 around 4.20 p.m., bringing home the Malaysian nationals who have been caught in the crosshairs of the escalating unrest in Bangladesh.
The mission involves a dedicated team of 15 personnel from Wisma Putra, the Prime Minister’s Department, the National Security Council, and Bernama, underscoring the gravity of the situation and the government’s commitment to leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the safe return of its citizens.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reportedly stated that the government had decided to bring back all Malaysians in Bangladesh due to growing security concerns following the escalating tensions in the country. This decision, he emphasized, followed the Foreign Ministry’s close monitoring of the recent developments in Bangladesh and the assessment of the potential risks posed to Malaysian nationals.
