Members of the Bangladesh national football team, along with a small group of Bangladeshi nationals stranded in Nepal, are scheduled to return home on Thursday by a special aircraft.
A total of 54 passengers, including 38 football team members, around a dozen journalists, and others, will be on board, a diplomat at the Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu told UNB on Wednesday night.
The special aircraft, a C-130, is expected to leave Dhaka for Kathmandu at 10:30am, a senior official said.
The Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu is in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Biman Bangladesh Airlines to arrange for a Dreamliner flight in addition to Biman’s regular afternoon flight from Kathmandu to Dhaka on Thursday, another embassy official told UNB.
If the plan is executed with the necessary permissions, he said, most of the Bangladeshis stranded in Nepal will be able to return home quickly.
The Bangladesh national football team travelled to Nepal on September 3 to play two friendly matches ahead of the Asian Cup qualifiers.
The first match against hosts Nepal on September 6 ended in a goalless draw. The second match, scheduled for Tuesday, was disrupted.
Officials in Dhaka and at the Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu confirmed that all Bangladeshis in Nepal, including the football team, are safe.
Nepal’s Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) resumed operations at 6 pm on Wednesday after being shut down for several hours due to violent anti-government protests.
TIA authorities advised passengers to contact their respective airlines for re-confirmation of flights.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Wednesday said Bangladeshis stranded in Nepal cannot return through India as they do not have Indian visas.
He said protesters had entered the hotel searching for their politicians but respectfully left when they saw the Bangladesh football team there.
“They have no hostility towards us. So, I don’t think there will be any crisis. Our embassy is in constant contact with them. We hope everyone will return safely,” Hossain told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
All Bangladeshi nationals currently in Nepal have been strongly advised to remain indoors at their hotels or residences.
Similarly, Bangladeshi nationals planning to travel to Nepal have been advised to postpone their trips due to the ongoing security situation until further notice.
Approximately 100 Bangladeshi nationals, including government officials and football players on official visits, are currently stranded in Kathmandu.
Govt trying to ensure safe return of football team from Nepal
In addition, around 500 Bangladeshi passengers of Biman Bangladesh Airlines are still in Nepal.
The number of Bangladeshi tourists in Nepal for private visits has not yet been confirmed.
According to the Bangladesh Embassy, its hotlines have received over 350 inquiries from Bangladeshi citizens stranded in Nepal, with most callers seeking updates on Biman flight schedules, delays, and rescheduling.