Eighty-five Bangladeshi nationals have arrived in Cox’s Bazar from Myanmar early Sunday after they were freed from jails.

The returnees were carried by Myanmar Naval Ship ‘UMS Chin Dwin’ which is visiting Bangladesh to bring back members of Myanmar defence force who were forced to cross the border into Bangladesh due to conflict in Rakhine state.

The ship, which left for Bangladesh on Saturday from Sittwe port in Rakhine of Myanmar, reached Cox’s Bazar carrying the returnees.

Out of the 85 returnees, 26 were in Mawlamyine prison, 16 in Pathein prison, 3 in Kyaikmaraw prison, and the rest are from Rakhine, according to the Bangladesh Embassy in Myanmar. Most of the returnees (56) are from Cox’s Bazar, Narayanganj, Narsingdi district, and others are from Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachari, Noakhali and Dhaka.

It has become possible to send another batch of Bangladeshi nationals to their families back home due to steadfast efforts of the Bangladesh Embassy in Yangon and the Bangladesh Consulate in Sittwe, said the embassy.

In the last 15 months, the Bangladesh Embassy in Myanmar actively coordinated the return of 332 Bangladeshi nationals back home.

The last return took place on June 8 when 45 Bangladeshis came back home. Bangladesh Embassy, Yangon, and Bangladesh Consulate, Sittwe coordinated the verification of their identity, issuance of Travel Permits, and communication with the local authorities.