United News of Bangladesh

A total of 172 Bangladeshi nationals voluntarily returned home from Libya early Thursday. They arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 4:51am on a Buraq Airlines flight from Misrata. The return was facilitated by the Libyan government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in coordination with Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, said a press release. Most of the returnees entered Libya after being lured by human traffickers, intending to travel to Europe illegally by sea. Many of them allegedly experienced kidnapping and torture at different times while in Libya. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant ministries, along with representatives of IOM, welcomed the returnees at the airport. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested the returnees to share their harrowing experiences with others to raise public awareness about the risks of irregular migration. IOM provided each returnee with travel expenses, some food items, primary healthcare and temporary accommodation, if necessary. The ministries, the Bangladesh mission in Tripoli and the IOM are working together to ensure the safe repatriation of Bangladeshi nationals detained at various detention centres in Libya.

A total of 172 irregular Bangladeshi migrants detained at the Ganfuda Detention Centre in Benghazi, Libya, were repatriated to Bangladesh early Thursday. The returnees arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 5:18 am on a special flight operated by Buraq Air. The repatriation was carried out with the support of the Libyan government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), through the coordinated efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya and the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment. According to officials, most of the returnees had entered Libya illegally with the intention of reaching Europe by sea after being lured and assisted by human traffickers. Many of them reportedly fell victim to abduction and torture at different times during their stay in Libya. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other relevant ministries and the IOM received the returnees at the airport. The Foreign Ministry urged the repatriated migrants to share their harrowing experiences with others to raise public awareness about the dangers of irregular migration and human trafficking. The IOM provided each returnee with travel allowances, food assistance, primary medical care and temporary accommodation where necessary. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the IOM are continuing their joint efforts to ensure the safe repatriation of Bangladeshi nationals detained in various detention centres across Libya.

Another 175 Bangladeshi nationals returned home from Libya on Thursday. They arrived at Dhaka at 8:00 am on Burak Air chartered flight, according the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The repatriation was coordinated by the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The returnees had been staying in Libya illegally. Two babies among 53 dead or missing after migrant boat capsizes off Libya, UN reports Most of the returnees had entered Libya with the intention of traveling illegally to Europe via human traffickers. Many had experienced abductions and abuse during their stay. Officials from the foreign ministry and the IOM welcomed the returnees at the airport and requested them to share their difficult experiences to raise public awareness. Each returnee received travel allowances, food supplies, basic medical care, and temporary shelter from the IOM.

Two babies are among at least 53 people reported dead or missing after an inflatable migrant boat sank off the coast of Libya, the U.N. migration agency said Monday, highlighting the ongoing dangers faced by those seeking to reach Europe. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the boat carrying 55 African migrants departed from the western Libyan town of Zawiya shortly before midnight on Thursday. Around six hours later, the vessel began taking on water and capsized on Friday morning north of Zuwara. Two Nigerian women survived the disaster and were rescued by Libyan authorities. One woman lost her husband, while the other lost her two children, IOM said. “Trafficking and smuggling networks continue to exploit migrants along the central Mediterranean route,” the U.N. agency stated, noting that these groups profit by sending people on unsafe and overcrowded boats from Libya to Europe. Libya has become a key transit point for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty across Africa and the Middle East, despite the country’s ongoing instability following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. The IOM’s missing migrants project reports that 484 migrants have died or gone missing along the central Mediterranean route so far in 2026. In 2025, the figure exceeded 1,300. “These repeated incidents underscore the persistent and deadly risks faced by migrants and refugees attempting the dangerous crossing,” the agency said. Human traffickers exploit Libya’s chaos, smuggling migrants across its borders and forcing them onto poorly equipped, overcrowded vessels. Those intercepted and returned to Libya are often held in government-run detention centers, where they face abuses including forced labor, beatings, sexual violence, and torture — acts deemed crimes against humanity by U.N.-commissioned investigators. Migrants are frequently extorted by traffickers or authorities before being allowed to attempt the dangerous journey to Europe, the IOM added.  

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the most prominent son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and once widely viewed as his political successor, has been killed in western Libya, according to figures close to him. Saif al-Islam, 53, was killed in the city of Zintan, where he had been living since 2011. His political adviser Abdullah Othman and lawyer Khaled el-Zaydi confirmed his death on Tuesday. A statement issued by his political team said he was assassinated after four masked attackers broke into his home in Zintan, reports Al Jazeera. Before the 2011 uprising, Saif al-Islam was regarded as Libya’s second-most powerful figure and the likely heir to his father’s rule. During the Arab Spring protests and the ensuing civil war, he remained a central figure, facing repeated accusations of torture and violent repression of opponents. In early 2011, he was placed under United Nations sanctions and barred from international travel. That March, NATO launched airstrikes on Libya after the UN authorised military action to protect civilians. In June 2011, Saif al-Islam said his father was prepared to hold elections and step down if defeated, an offer rejected by NATO as the bombing campaign continued. Later that month, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him for crimes against humanity. After Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim were killed in Sirte in October 2011, Saif al-Islam was captured and held in Zintan. Libyan authorities eventually secured the right to try him domestically rather than extradite him to The Hague. In 2014, he appeared by video link at a Tripoli court while still detained in Zintan. A year later, he was sentenced to death in absentia. In 2017, he was released under an amnesty declared by eastern Libyan authorities, though the ICC warrant against him remained in force. Son of late dictator Gadhafi is killed in Libya He largely stayed out of public view for years before giving a rare interview to The New York Times in July 2021, accusing Libyan authorities of fearing elections. Later that year, he made his first public appearance since the war and registered as a presidential candidate in Sebha. Although initially barred, he was later reinstated as a candidate, but the election was never held amid Libya’s prolonged political instability and rival administrations. Western-educated and fluent in English, Saif al-Islam cultivated an image as a reformist within his father’s authoritarian system. He earned a PhD from the London School of Economics in 2008 and played a visible role in Libya’s efforts to rebuild relations with Western governments. He was involved in negotiations over Libya’s nuclear programme, compensation agreements linked to major international attacks, and the release of foreign medics imprisoned in Libya. He also promoted international initiatives, including a one-state proposal for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and peace talks in the Philippines. Despite presenting himself as a modernising figure, his legacy remained deeply controversial due to his role during the 2011 conflict.

At least four Bangladeshi nationals were among those killed after two boats carrying a total of 95 irregular migrants capsized off the coastal city of Al Khums, the Libyan Red Crescent reported on Saturday (November 15). According to a statement posted by the Red Crescent on Facebook, the first vessel was carrying 26 migrants from Bangladesh. Four of them lost their lives when the boat overturned in rough waters. A second boat, carrying 69 migrants—including two Egyptians and dozens of Sudanese nationals—also capsized. Libya boat disaster: 50 Sudanese refugees killed at sea The Red Crescent did not provide details on the condition or fate of those on board the second vessel. Rescue teams continued operations along the Al Khums coastline as authorities worked to assess the full scale of the tragedy. The incident adds to a rising number of perilous attempts by migrants to cross the Mediterranean in hopes of reaching Europe. Read more: Boat carrying hundreds of Myanmar migrants capsizes near Malaysia Source: Agencies

A total of 175 irregular Bangladeshis, who wanted to return home voluntarily from Benghazi and its surrounding areas of Libya, were repatriated on Thursday. They returned home at 6:15 am on a chartered flight of Buraq Air following the joint cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The repatriated Bangladeshis were received at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Hundreds of Libya-bound migrants shifted from Crete to mainland Greece Most of the repatriated Bangladeshis said they entered Libya with the instigation and cooperation of human traffickers with the intention of illegally traveling to Europe by sea. Most of them had been abducted and tortured in Libya at various times, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The IOM provided money, some food items, first aid and temporary accommodation to each repatriated person. The government said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are working "tirelessly together" to arrange for the safe repatriation of Bangladeshi citizens detained in various detention centers in Libya.  

A total of 123 irregular Bangladeshis, who wanted to return home voluntarily from Tripoli and its surrounding areas of Libya, were repatriated on Thursday. They returned home at 9:50 am on a chartered flight of Buraq Air following the joint cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The repatriated Bangladeshis were received at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Most of the repatriated Bangladeshis said they entered Libya with the instigation and cooperation of human traffickers with the intention of illegally traveling to Europe by sea. Most of them had been abducted and tortured in Libya at various times, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Ministry requested everyone to be aware of this so that no one else goes to Libya by illegally crossing this dangerous path. The IOM provided Tk 6,000, some food items, first aid and temporary accommodation to each repatriated person. The government said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are working "tirelessly together" to arrange for the safe repatriation of Bangladeshi citizens detained in various detention centers in Libya.  

A group of 145 undocumented Bangladeshi nationals, who wanted to voluntarily return home from Libya, arrived in Dhaka early Thursday. They arrived by a chartered flight of Buraq Air (UZ0222) at 5:30 am following a joint effort by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli, Libya and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Most of them entered Libya facilitated by human traffickers, with the intention of illegally traveling to Europe via the sea route. They were victims of kidnapping and torture at different times in Libya, according to the foreign ministry. The government urged everyone to remain aware of this so that no one goes to Libya illegally. After arrival, the returnees were received by ministry officials and the International Organization for Migration at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. IOM provided each repatriated person from Libya with Tk 6000, and some food items. 23 bodies washed up on Libya's shores believed to be of Bangladeshis: Ambassador They will be provided treatment and temporary accommodation if necessary. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are working together to arrange for the safe repatriation of Bangladeshi citizens detained in various detention centers in Libya. Meanwhile, several batches of undocumented Bangladeshis returned home from the country.

A fresh batch of 140 Bangladeshi citizens returned home from Libya on Thursday by a chartered flight of Buraq Air. Among them, 113 people were affected by floods in the city of Derna in the eastern Libya and 27 were detained at Ganfouda detention centre in Benghazi,  according to a foreign ministry press release. Over 60 people have drowned in the capsizing of a migrant vessel off Libya, the UN says A flight of Buraq Air carrying the Bangladeshi nationals landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 6:30 am on Thursday, said the release, Foreign ministry officials and officials of International Organisation for Migration (IOM) received them at the airport. Upon their arrival at the airport, the IOM provided Tk 5,919 and some food to each of the returnees. 136 more Bangladeshis repatriated from Libya At that time, Mostofa Jamil Khan, director (Welfare) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, inquired about the repatriated Bangladeshis. He advised the returnees who were detained at Ganfouda detention centre to talk to neighbours and relatives about their terrible experiences in Libya. He said that the returnees can play an important role in creating awareness about illegal migration among people. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the financial support of the IOM, is facilitating the return of illegal Bangladeshi migrants stranded in Libya. 145 more Bangladeshis return from Libya As part of this initiative, a total of 975 Bangladeshis have been brought back to the country from Libya from July 2023, according to the foreign ministry press release. All irregular Bangladeshi citizens will be repatriated from Libya soon, reads the press release.