Thousands of Bangladeshis stranded in India call for help to return

Thousands of Bangladeshi nationals, who went to India for treatment and subsequently were left stranded by the country's coronavirus lockdown, have called for Bsangladesh government help to return home. 

Many patients' treatment was closed due to coronavirus, and treatment of many others over but cannot come to back to home. 

Things are getting worse for them there as their money and patience ran out, and experience police harassment when try to go out for medicine and food. 

The stranded people cannot take money from home because transaction ways of both countries remained stopped. Some have no capacity to take money. 

Contacting with Bangladesh High Commission in India, the stuck people did not response in which they can hope.

Thus their days are passing with uncertainty as they don't know when they can return home. 

So, they want Bangladesh government anyhow bring back to home, if it is not possible, help them there.

Jago News talked to around 20 patients and their relatives stranded there to know the situation of Bangladeshis. 

Every year about 12 lakh people went to India form Bangladesh to take treatment. Most of them go to Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, India for standard service and comparatively cheap costs. 

Aditya Karmaker, a patient at CMC, said he completed his treatment but cannot return home because of India's lockdown over coronavirus, and his money is about finished. Things are getting bad to worse for him day by day.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday countrywide 21-day lockdown in an effort to curb the spread of the deadly epidemic, COVID-19 that infected more than 1000 people in the country.

The country also suspended its entire air connectivity with rest of the world for same objective, leaving foreigners stuck.

Saiful Islam, who took her ailing mother to CMC on March 5, said his mother was discharged on March 24 before completion of full treatment. 

"Indian government reaches food to its citizens' houses but there are none to take care of us here. If Bangladesh government is not able to bring back us right now, arrange accommodation for us," he said.

"All money I brought with me ran out. I am in trouble, and today I could manage only rice and pulse to have," said Dhaka College student Sakhawat Hossain who went to India for mother's treatment.

He told this correspondent that he phoned at Bangladesh embassy in India but could not reach. He also contacted with Kolkata mission but they said they have nothing to do. 

Contacted with State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam over phone, he told Jago News that they heard about this, and Bangladesh mission there prepared a primary list of the stranded people. India suspended its all kinds of communication but Bangladesh is trying to bring back them, he added.