A total of 175 irregular Bangladeshis, who wanted to return home voluntarily from Benghazi and its surrounding areas of Libya, were repatriated on Thursday.

They returned home at 6:15 am on a chartered flight of Buraq Air following the joint cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The repatriated Bangladeshis were received at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

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Most of the repatriated Bangladeshis said they entered Libya with the instigation and cooperation of human traffickers with the intention of illegally traveling to Europe by sea.

Most of them had been abducted and tortured in Libya at various times, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The IOM provided money, some food items, first aid and temporary accommodation to each repatriated person.

The government said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are working "tirelessly together" to arrange for the safe repatriation of Bangladeshi citizens detained in various detention centers in Libya.