Staff Correspondent

Sixty-five more Bangladeshi nationals evacuated from Lebanon arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday by a Saudi Arabian commercial flight.

The aircraft, SV-810, carrying the Bangladeshis, including women and children, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) this evening via Jeddah, according to a press release.

Besides, 31 more Bangladeshis have already left for Dhaka in SV-802 of the same airline.

On arrival at Dhaka airport, the repatriated Bangladeshi citizens were welcomed by the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Each repatriated Bangladeshi received financial assistance of Tk 5,000, along with food items and medical care.

Foreign Ministry Director Mustafa Jamil Khan spoke with the returning Bangladeshis at the airport, discussing the horrors of the war and inquiring about their experiences. So far, no Bangladeshi casualties have been reported in Lebanon.

These evacuees are among approximately 1,800 Bangladeshi nationals who have expressed their wish to voluntarily return due to the deteriorating security conditions in Lebanon.

On October 21, 54 Bangladeshis returned home from Lebanon in the first batch.

Earlier, IOM’s Acting Chief of Mission in Bangladesh Fathima Nusrath Ghazzali said the efforts of the government of Bangladesh to evacuate its nationals is commendable and IOM stands committed to support the Bangladeshi authorities in these humanitarian efforts. "IOM is exploring potential avenues to extend additional support for vulnerable Bangladeshi nationals in Lebanon at soonest," she said.