First batch of 54 Bangladeshi nationals evacuated from war-torn Lebanon arrived in Dhaka by a Saudi Arabian commercial flight this afternoon. 

Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment adviser Dr Asif Nazrul received them at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).   
 
The first group, comprising 26 men, 20 women, six children and two infants, landed at the airport at around 5:30 pm following a transit stop in Jeddah.

They departed from Beirut at 10:50 pm (local time) on Sunday and reached Jeddah at 8:20 am this morning and again left Jeddah at 1:20 pm (local time) for Dhaka.

Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain earlier informed the media that the government has initiated the repatriation of documented Bangladeshi nationals from Lebanon.
 
He noted that limited seat availability on flights from Beirut has restricted the number of returnees in this initial phase.

"Given the capacity constraints, we are exploring options to transport a larger group by sea to Turkey, from where they can fly to Bangladesh," he said.

The Foreign Affairs and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment ministries in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) are in coordination to ensure the safe return of Bangladeshis affected by the ongoing conflict in Lebanon.

About 70,000 to 100,000 Bangladeshi nationals are now living in Lebanon. But only about 1,800 have expressed their interest to back home and out of them about 160 have the necessary legal documentation for repatriation.

The repatriation process is complicated for many reasons including lack of proper documentation, which is required to obtain exit clearances and pay associated fees, according to the foreign ministry officials.

Earlier, Bangladesh Embassy in Lebanon issued a notification encouraging interested nationals to enrol their names for repatriation.