Online Desk  :   The first batch of 54 Bangladeshi nationals was returned home from war-torn Lebanon on Monday evening.  The migrants from Beirut landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 5:23pm through a Saudi Airlines flight, according to the airport authorities. Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain welcomed them at the airport. Among the returnees, 26 were men, 21 were women, and six children, and two infants. There are an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 Bangladeshi nationals in Lebanon, but only about 1,800 have expressed interest in returning home. Of those, approximately 160 have the necessary legal documentation for repatriation.

The process is complicated for many others due to the lack of proper documentation, which is required to obtain exit clearances and pay associated fees, according to the foreign ministry’s officials. The rest will come gradually within a few days. Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain earlier informed the media that the government had initiated the repatriation of documented Bangladeshi nationals from Lebanon. He noted that limited seat availability on flights out of Beirut has restricted the number of returnees in this initial phase.

The Foreign Ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment to facilitate the return of Bangladeshi citizens stranded in Lebanon. The repatriation efforts are being coordinated in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to ensure the safe return of Bangladeshis affected by the ongoing conflict in Lebanon. Earlier, the Bangladesh Embassy in Lebanon issued a notification encouraging interested nationals to enrol for repatriation.