Bangladeshis in Nepal safe, can return when situation improves: Touhid
The embassy in Kathmandu has been maintaining constant communication with those stranded, he says
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain today (10 September) assured that all Bangladeshis stranded in Nepal, including members of the national football team, are safe and will be able to return once the situation there normalises.
"As long as the situation does not improve, we can do nothing. Their return will be possible as soon as flights between Dhaka and Kathmandu resume normal operations," he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this afternoon.
The adviser ruled out the possibility of bringing them back through India, saying none of them holds an Indian visa. "So, we have to wait," he added.
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He said a positive gesture was seen during the unrest when protesters, while searching hotels for political leaders, encountered the Bangladeshi footballers but moved away without disturbing them.
"They have no negative feelings towards us, and I do not anticipate any crisis," Touhid said, assuring that Bangladeshi nationals in Nepal remain safe amid the unrest.
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He noted that the embassy in Kathmandu has been maintaining constant communication with those stranded.
"We hope everyone will return safely, but it will take some time," he added.
On a different note, Touhid said Bangladesh would respond positively if the United Nations (UN) sought to deploy Bangladeshi peacekeepers in a buffer zone between Russia and Ukraine.
Replying to a query about the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) meeting held in New Delhi over water-sharing agreements between Bangladesh and India, the adviser said he had not yet received any update.
"Once I get the information, I will let you know," he added.
