Bangladeshis return from "hell" of Lebanon

DHAKA, July 30 (Reuters) A planeload of Bangladeshis returned to Dhaka early today from war-torn Lebanon, thanking god they were able to leave a ''terrible nightmare out of hell''.

The first batch of 132 returned with the help of the U N's International Organisation of Migration (IOM), which Dhaka had asked to evacuate some 10,000 Bangladeshis trapped in Lebanon in the wake of the current Middle East conflicts.

''We were terrified by the bombings,'' said Mohammad Kamal, who worked in a garments factory in Lebanon.

''We couldn't sleep at night. The bombings scared us to death,'' he told Reuters at the Dhaka airport.

IOM official Nahreen Farjana said a second group of 151 Bangladeshis would come to Dhaka by the next available flight, and more as soon as possible.

Kamal, who was evacuated via Syria said he saw many dead bodies and people crying for help.'' ''Thank god, we have been finally released from hell,'' he said.

Most Bangladeshis in Lebanon work in factories, oil refineries, construction sites or as domestic help -- many without valid travel documents or legal work permits, officials said.

Officials and returnees said many were reluctant to come home because they had spent a huge amount of money getting to Lebanon, hoping to beat poverty at home.

IOM's Nahreen said 40 per cent of Bangladeshis who registered to come back were women and mostly with children.

REUTERS SP RS1329