200 Bangladesh nationals detained from Libya coast

At least 200 Bangladeshis were detained last Saturday from Misrata, the eastern coastal district of Libya, while they were trying to go to Europe illegally. 

The detainees were later taken to a detention center in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Libya Major General SM Shamim Uz Zaman confirmed the news.

A total of 500 Bangladesh nationals were detained, according to Libyan police. However, the embassy contacted and confirmed that 240 of them were Bangladeshis.

The ambassador said they were taking preparations to travel to Europe illegally with the help of human traffickers. Now that their identities have been confirmed, they will be repatriated with the help of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The embassy is already in consultation with the IOM and local police for this.