521 Bangladeshis have returned home since Israel invaded southern Lebanon: Ministry

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Authorities in Bangladesh continue to repatriate Bangladeshi nationals from war-torn Lebanon, with 521 citizens returning home since Israeli forces invaded the southern part of the country on Oct. 1.

The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said that with the cooperation of the Bangladesh Embassy in Beirut and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 151 Bangladeshi nationals who were stranded in Lebanon and wished to return home were repatriated Wednesday.

They came back on a chartered flight funded by the IOM.

Right before this, 32 people were brought back from Lebanon on a flight funded by the Bangladesh government.

“With this, a total of 521 Bangladeshis have returned home safely on nine flights (since the war began in Lebanon),” the Foreign Ministry added.

The IOM provided each of those repatriated from Lebanon with 5,000 Bangladeshi Taka ($41.84) as pocket money, some food items and basic medical treatment.

So far, one Bangladeshi has been reported killed in a bomb attack in Lebanon, said the ministry.

“The government will bring back all Bangladeshis who wish to return to the country in the current war situation in Lebanon at the government's own expense,” the ministry said.

More than 3,000 people have been killed and over 13,500 injured in Israeli attacks since October 2023, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Israel expanded the conflict by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1 this year.