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The US Department of State and US Embassy Bangladesh are planning to arrange a special chartered flight for US citizens and their families who voluntarily want to leave Bangladesh.
The flight, likely to be the final one, is expected to depart Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The announcement came through a travel alert which was issued on Friday.
The US Embassy remains open for business, it said.
“The flight is not yet authorised or confirmed, but we are targeting Tuesday, April 21 as the departure date, and an arrival the following day at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C metro area”, the embassy said.
If the flight is authorised, the US embassy expects this will be the final US State Department chartered flight returning to the United States from Bangladesh during the COVID-19 crisis.
The US embassy also urged the US citizens, who wish to return to the United States, to take advantage of this opportunity or be prepared to remain in Bangladesh until commercial flights resume.
“If you wish to travel to the United States if this flight is authorised, and you filled out our online sign up form for the previous flight, please do not sign up again. If you did not fill out the online form for the last flight, please provide your information here”, the US embassy stated.
“You will not receive an e-mail confirming your submission. Do not call the Embassy to confirm your information; we will e-mail you if you are confirmed for a future flight. Keep your phone nearby and check your e-mail regularly in case the Embassy needs to contact you”, it further said.
All passengers will need to reimburse the US Government for the cost of the flight. A legal document, called a promissory note, for the full cost of the flight must be signed by each adult passenger before boarding, the embassy pointed out.
The cost will be approximately $1,820 per adult ticket. No cash or credit card payments will be accepted at the airport.
The US citizens are requested to review payment information on promissory notes (DS-5528).
While the passport will not be canceled, US citizens who have signed a loan agreement for repatriation may not be eligible for new passports until the loan is repaid, the embassy added.
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