Bangladesh to evacuate migrant workers from war-torn Lebanon: Embassy

Bangladesh will evacuate migrant workers from war-torn Lebanon who are interested to return home amid the deteriorating situation, the Bangladesh Embassy in Beirut said today (3 October).

"We have informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the situation here and they have decided to evacuate people. The ministry has asked us to create a list of those who want to return. We're working on it now," Md Anwar Hossain, first secretary (labour) at the Bangladesh embassy in Lebanon told The Business Standard.  

When asked about the timeline, he replied, "These evacuations usually happen quickly, and we won't make any delay."

However, he could not provide details on the transportation arrangements.

He said the situation is worsening in the southern part of Lebanon and the Shia-dominating area in Beirut.

"We are keeping our people out of the danger zone," he added.

The Bangladesh embassy has declared closure of its consular and welfare service on 23 September amid the current situation.

At least five Bangladeshi nationals have been injured—three in southern Lebanon and two in Beirut—according to the Bangladesh embassy.  

There are approximately 100,000 Bangladeshis working in Lebanon, with around 40% being women, according to unofficial estimates.

About 20,000-25,000 Bangladeshis from southern Lebanon have moved to Beirut, especially around the Rafik Hariri Mosque and Hamra Sanaya Park, according to Bangladeshi migrants.

The conflict had not seriously impacted Lebanon since the fighting between Hamas and Israel began in October last year, but the situation has deteriorated rapidly over the past week.

The conflict escalated on 23 September when Israel launched its largest air campaign in years, targeting southern Lebanon after issuing evacuation warnings to residents.