Woman appeals to PM to repatriate 160 Bangladeshi students from China  

A woman has appealed to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to repatriate 160 Bangladeshi students of Three Gorges University, including her son, who are trapped in China's Yichang city due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The Business Standard obtained a copy of the petition filed by Advocate Shamima Haque Bithi, mother of Ihtesam Tonmoy – a student of the university. She appealed to the premier on behalf of the families of the 160 students.

In the letter, Shamima Haque said, "My son is a final year student of Mechanical BSC Engineering at Three Gorges University. The aforementioned 160 students are doctors, engineers and scientists. They are the future of our nation."

The Chinese government has placed Hubei province under lockdown, she added, saying, "The students trapped in the lock down are terrified of the situation there. The city is now also a red zone."

"The Bangladeshi students have been under the lockdown for 45 days now. They are suffering from a scarcity of food. As parents, we cannot bear this anymore. I am requesting the affectionate and motherly PM to bring home the students trapped in China," the petition reads.

Earlier on February 1, a special flight of Bangladesh Biman flew home 312 trapped Bangladeshis from China's Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. They returned home after staying at Ashkona Hajj camp quarantine center on February 15.

Additionally, on February 26, the Indian Air Force flew 23 Bangladeshi students to India from the Hubei province. They are currently under quarantined supervision in India.