Dhaka: A group of 47 Bangladeshi nationals, earlier trafficked into Thailand by sea, returned home on Monday evening.

A Biman Bangladesh airlines flight, BG 089, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at about 7:30pm.

Among the returnees, 10 hail from Jessore, nine from Sunamganj, another nine from Sirajganj, six from Jhenidah, two each from Narsingdi, Mymensingh, Meherpur, and Cox’s Bazar; and one each from Tangail, Faridpur, Shariatpur, Madaripur, and Bogra districts, according to Bangladesh Embassy in Thailand.

The returnees are still at the airport and likely to be interviewed by the officials here before their formal release, said a source at the airport.

The Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok will continue to interview the remaining 203 self-identified Bangladeshis around Thailand as per slots given by Thai government for their early repatriation to Bangladesh this month, said an official release.

As a special measure, the repatriation of the above 47 detained Bangladeshi nationals were fully sponsored by the government of Bangladesh, which includes airfare, transportation from Suan Plu Immigration Detention Centre, Bangkok to Suvarnabhumi Airport and other expenses.

Bangladesh Ambassador in Thailand Saida Muna Tasneem has been working in close cooperation with Thai government authorities to ensure successive repatriation of few more batches of 197 already verified Bangladeshi nationals by end-June.

The Embassy of Bangladesh in Bangkok with the active support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs of Bangladesh, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and Thai Immigration Bureau, has so far repatriated 872 Bangladeshi nationals trafficked into Thailand since late 2013.

The Embassy also repatriated 33 Bangladeshi nationals since the discovery of mass grave along the Thailand-Malaysia border on 1 May this year.

Since the 1 May mass grave discovery incident, Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand Saida Muna Tasneem visited Songkhla Province for the second time on 10 June with a Consular Team of the Embassy to interview and inquire about the well-being of 117 self-identified Bangladeshis most of whom have freshly been rescued since early May.