Bangladeshis stranded in war-torn Iran are returning home tonight. This information was confirmed by Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources.
Around 200 Bangladeshis are expected to land at Shahjalal International Airport on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines aircraft at approximately 1:30 AM late Friday (March 20).
Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, Civil Aviation, and Biman Bangladesh Airlines worked together on the initiative to bring back Bangladeshis from Iran.
To coordinate the emergency repatriation, two officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka and officials from the Bangladesh Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, traveled to Baku, Azerbaijan.
According to Ministry sources, the stranded Bangladeshis were first brought from Tehran to the Azerbaijan border by road, and from there to Baku.
They are being brought to Dhaka on a special chartered flight from Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport.
The Wage Earners' Welfare Board provided approximately $23,000 for incidental expenses (visa fees per person, medicine, food, and land transport costs), while the government is bearing the cost of the chartered aircraft.
Due to the conflict situation involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, several countries had suspended flights, and hundreds of flights from Bangladesh were also canceled over the past 18 days.
Under these circumstances, the government prioritized the safe return of its citizens.
