Dhaka: Ten more Bangladeshis returned home on Saturday evening from war-torn Yemen through Djibouti, raising the total number of returnees to 21.

They arrived in a Fly Dubai flight that landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 6:45pm, said an official.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque confirmed their scheduled arrival at a press conference at the ministry.

The Foreign Secretary said some 360 Bangladesh nationals have been evacuated from Yemen and shifted to Djibouti.

Of them, some 340 Bangladesh nationals were brought to Djibouti from Yemen by Indian ship while 20 more by Air India flight.

The Foreign Secretary also said some 56 Bangladesh nationals landed in Djibouti from Aden port by Indian ship on Saturday.

“All the Bangladeshis now in Djibouti will be brought to Cochin Port in Indian State Kerala by a big ship,” he said adding that then they will be brought to Bangladesh through a special Biman flight.

Asked how the rescue operation will continue since India called off its evacuation process, Shahidul Haque said they have an alternative arrangement to carry it out.

He said a ship of International Organization fro Migration (IOM) remained ready for the last four days but could not approach to port due to the current situation. “We’ve also communicated with a number of organisations.”

The Foreign Secretary said they have a list of 500 Bangladesh nationals and if anybody wants to come back, the government will make the arrangement.

Describing the danger of evacuation process and his experience in Lebanon in the past, he said, “The job is not that much easy. I can’t express how much difficult it is.”

The Foreign Secretary said the number of workforce is not the issue but the situation matters. “We need to consider the life security of the officials who will be there to evacuate.”

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali under the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is looking after the entire process, he said.

He also said officials concerned are working round the clock in this regard.

Earlier on Friday, 11 Bangladesh nationals returned home from Yemen, also via Djibouti.

Meanwhile, Indian High Commission in Dhaka said Bangladesh nationals evacuated to Djibouti by INS Sumitra and INS Tarkash to be brought to Kochi in Indian passenger vessel MV Corrals.

In another tweet, it said INS Tarkash brought 56 Bangladesh nationals from Aden, amongst others, to Djibouti.