Bangladesh government ‘doing all it can’ to safely return national football team from Nepal: CAO

The team is stranded in Kathmandu as flights are cancelled due to ongoing unrest and violence

The Chief Advisor’s Office (CAO) says the government is doing all it can to get the Bangladesh national football team, which had gone to Nepal ro play friendly games, home safely.

The CAO said in a statement on Tuesday that the scheduled return of the team had been temporarily delayed due to the violent protests in Nepal.

The team was supposed to head home from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at 3pm local time, but the airport authorities canceled all flights amid escalating tensions.

As a result, the team's players and officials are currently stranded at the hotel.

The CAO noted that Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain is monitoring the situation around the clock to ensure the team's safety and smooth return.

Senior officials at the CAO and the Ministry of Youth and Sports are actively working on the steps needed to get them home safely and speedily.

Regular contact is being maintained with the embassy in Nepal on the matter.

The Bangladesh government is also maintaining close contact with the Nepalese Army to ensure the smooth return of the team after the recent political changes in Nepal, especially the resignation of the prime minister.

Advisor Asif Mahmud contacted team captain Jamal Bhuyan and team manager Amer Khan over the phone to inquire about their situation and assure them of taking all necessary arrangements for their speedy return to the country, the CAO said.

Several ministers, including the prime minister of Nepal, have resigned after police clashed with youth protesters, leading to nearly two dozen deaths.

The country's parliament building and the houses of ministers were stormed by protesters and set on fire. Violent unrest has spread across the country.

A Biman flight was not allowed to land in Kathmandu on Tuesday due to the situation at the airport amid the violence. It later returned to Dhaka.

All flights from Dhaka to Kathmandu have been cancelled due to the suspension of all aircraft operations at Tribhuvan Airport. The return flight from Kathmandu to Dhaka has also been cancelled.