Jammu, May 9 (IANS): The J&K administration has sought early return of local students studying in Bangladesh under the 'Vande Bharat Mission', launched by the Centre to facilitate return of Indians stranded abroad amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Their early return attains significance in view of the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid festival, likely on May 25," Chief Secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam said in a letter to Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

The first batch of 168 J&K students studying in Bangladesh were airlifted to Srinagar International Airport on May 8. As per the administration data, 230-240 students are still stranded in Bangladesh.

Seeking personal intervention of the Foreign Secretary, Subrahmanyam has urged return of these students to Srinagar in a single flight by arranging an aircraft with 250-seat capacity.

"This needs to be mitigated, keeping in consideration the extreme distress among stranded students/persons due to the Covid-19 pandemic," the Chief Secretary wrote.