Bangladeshi Footballers To Return Home From Nepal Thursday: Embassy

Members of the Bangladesh national football team, along with several Bangladeshi nationals stranded in Nepal, are set to return home on Thursday on a special aircraft.

A total of 54 passengers—including 38 footballers, about a dozen journalists, and others—will be on board, a Bangladesh Embassy official in Kathmandu told UNB on Wednesday night.

The C-130 aircraft is scheduled to depart Dhaka for Kathmandu at 10:30am, according to a senior official.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu is coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Biman Bangladesh Airlines to arrange an additional Dreamliner flight alongside Biman’s regular afternoon service from Kathmandu to Dhaka on Thursday, another embassy official said.

If the plan moves forward with the required clearances, most Bangladeshis currently stranded in Nepal are expected to return quickly, he added.

The Bangladesh football team had travelled to Nepal on September 3 to play two friendlies ahead of the Asian Cup qualifiers. The first match, against hosts Nepal on September 6, ended goalless, while the second match scheduled for Tuesday was called off.

Officials in both Dhaka and Kathmandu confirmed that all Bangladeshis in Nepal, including the football squad, remain safe.

Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu resumed operations at 6pm Wednesday after being closed for several hours amid violent anti-government protests. TIA authorities advised passengers to re-confirm flight details with their airlines.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said Wednesday that stranded Bangladeshis cannot return via India due to a lack of visas. He noted that protesters had briefly entered the hotel where the Bangladesh team was staying but left peacefully upon realizing their identity.

“They have no hostility towards us. So, I don’t think there will be any crisis. Our embassy is in regular contact. We expect everyone to return safely,” Hossain told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The embassy has strongly advised all Bangladeshi nationals in Nepal to remain indoors at hotels or residences. Those planning to travel to Nepal have also been urged to delay their trips until the situation stabilizes.

Currently, about 100 Bangladeshis—including government officials and footballers—remain stranded in Kathmandu, along with nearly 500 Biman passengers. The number of Bangladeshi tourists visiting privately has yet to be determined.

According to the embassy, its hotlines have already received more than 350 inquiries, mostly concerning flight schedules, delays, and rescheduling.