282 Bangladeshis Return from Iran; More Evacuees Due from Azerbaijan

A total of 282 Bangladeshi nationals have returned home from Iran amid the ongoing conflict in the region, with a chartered flight landing at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 7:00 pm on Friday.

The evacuees were transported via Bahrain as part of the government’s ongoing efforts to bring back citizens stranded in war-affected areas.

Officials said the repatriation process is continuing, with another group of around 280 Bangladeshis scheduled to arrive from Baku, Azerbaijan, on a Bangladesh Biman flight (BG-532) at 1:00 pm. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam is expected to be present at the airport to receive them.

The second batch departed from Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku at 6:00 pm local time on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. These individuals were earlier moved from Iran to Azerbaijan’s capital on Thursday as part of a coordinated evacuation plan.

The government has intensified efforts to ensure the safe return of Bangladeshi nationals as the security situation in Iran continues to deteriorate due to ongoing military conflict involving the United States and Israel.

This is not the first such evacuation. In June last year, Bangladeshis affected by earlier escalations in the region were repatriated via Pakistan.

Authorities said the evacuation operations are being carried out in phases, prioritising the safety and well-being of citizens abroad.