‘Full effort’ under way to bring back Bangladesh football team from Kathmandu

A statement from the sports ministry says officials are working on the team’s “speedy and safe return”

The government is making “full effort” to bring back the Bangladesh national football team, which has been stranded in Kathmandu amid anti-government protests and clashes in Nepal.

On Wednesday, the youth and sports ministry said the Chief Advisor’s Office (CAO) and senior officials are working to take the necessary steps for the team’s speedy and safe return.

“Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain is monitoring the situation round the clock to ensure the team’s safety and smooth return,” the ministry said in a statement.

On Tuesday, the CAO had also said the government was “making maximum efforts” to safely bring the team back from Nepal.

Several ministers, including the prime minister of Nepal, have resigned in the wake of violent protests by Gen Z.

Protesters have set fire to the parliament building and the homes of ministers, as demonstrations have spread throughout the country.

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight was forced to turn back to Dhaka on Tuesday after it did not receive clearance to land in Kathmandu because of conditions at Tribhuvan International Airport, where operations have been disrupted by the unrest.

All flights between Dhaka and Kathmandu have since been cancelled, including the return flights to Bangladesh, because of the suspension of aircraft operations at Tribhuvan Airport.