First batch of Bangladeshis to return home from Iran next week: Foreign ministry

The first group of Bangladeshi nationals willing to return from conflict-hit Iran is expected to arrive home next week, as the government has initiated a coordinated repatriation process in cooperation with neighboring countries, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.

“The ministry is making efforts to ensure that the first group of interested individuals can return to Bangladesh by next week,” according to a foreign ministry’s statement readout by Director General of Public Diplomacy Wing Shah Asif Rahman. 

“In view of the ongoing war situation in Iran, the Bangladesh government has started the necessary procedures to bring back all Bangladeshi nationals residing there who wish to return,” read the statement. 

“This repatriation process will be carried out with the support of neighboring countries of Iran.”

The ministry expressed hope that the repatriation process for the remaining Bangladeshis would be completed in phases and said coordination is underway with the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment to facilitate the returns.

In the statement, the foreign ministry urged all Bangladeshi nationals in Iran who are interested in returning home to register with the Bangladesh Embassy in Tehran by providing their names, addresses, and other necessary information.

Family members of those in Iran have also been advised to get in touch with the relevant authorities, if needed, it said.

The following hotline numbers have been made available for direct  communication, including through WhatsApp:

Bangladesh Embassy, Tehran – Hotline:

+98 9908577368, +98 9122065745

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dhaka – Hotline:

+880 1712012847

Earlier, the foreign ministry said that the government is committed to ensure the safety and well-being of Bangladeshi citizens abroad and assured that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure a safe, secure and orderly repatriation.