Indian students, who were stranded in Dhaka due to coronavirus-trigged restrictions, reached Srinagar on Friday and expressed gratitude to the Centre for bringing them back under the Vande Bharat Mission.
"I am a student. We were under a lot of stress but the Indian Embassy in Dhaka reached out to us and helped us. It's happy to be back home again. They were taking proper care of us. We are very thankful to MEA for our evacuation," Farhan, a student from Srinagar told .
Another student Zubair Ahmed said that they were having problems in buying essential items in Dhaka due to restrictions.
"We came by direct flight from Dhaka. We faced a lot of problems there. They have a very strict lockdown and cases were increasing. We were in quarantine for almost 40 days. We also faced problems in buying essential items. Our college was also closed. We are happy that we reached home," he said.
Siraj Ahmed, who hails from Srinagar said: "Situation was getting worse there. Cases were also increasing that's why we were tensed. We were not getting essentials due to restrictions there. Indian embassy supported us."
Manjoor Ahmed, father of one of the students brought back today said: "Our children came back. We thank the Indian embassy in Dhaka. They helped our children a lot. There were around 500 students stranded there. Around 200 came today. Remaining students should be brought back. Those from Kashmir who are working there should also be brought back."
Sub Divisional Magistrate Fayaz Ahmed said that the students who were brought back are being quarantied and their needs are being taken care of.
"Students who have come from Dhaka are being quarantined in hotels. Their samples will be collected. Later, they will be taken back to their homes. They are being provided with the best facilities," Ahmed said.
The Air India flight under Vande Bharat Mission from Bangladesh capital Dhaka, carrying 167 stranded passengers who are all medical students, had departed for Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar on Friday afternoon.
The people had registered online and the embassy later sent them tickets through e-mail.
As coronavirus pandemic continues, repatriation is being carried out under India's massive evacuation effort named 'Vande Bharat Mission', which began on Thursday.
Air India plans to operate 64 flights till May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
( With inputs from ANI )