PM orders urgent measures for safety of Bangladeshis in Middle East

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has ordered urgent measures to ensure the safety of Bangladeshi nationals in Iran and across the Middle East amid escalating regional conflict, as flight cancellations and fears of rising fuel prices add to mounting concern.

After arriving at his office at the secretariat on Sunday morning, Tarique Rahman held a meeting with the foreign minister, Khalilur Rahman, and his foreign affairs adviser, Humayun Kabir, to review the situation.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kabir said the prime minister had sought detailed updates on the condition of Bangladeshis living in countries affected by Iranian attacks and issued “necessary directives” to safeguard them. He did not specify the number of citizens at risk but said missions in the region had been asked to remain vigilant.

The prime minister also instructed relevant authorities to ease the suffering of passengers stranded at airports after several Middle East-bound flights were cancelled due to the unfolding crisis. Particular attention has been given to conditions at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, where passengers have faced delays and uncertainty.

According to officials, the prime minister is maintaining round-the-clock oversight of the situation at the airport. 

The civil aviation minister and state minister have been tasked with supervising response efforts, with the state minister present at the airport since morning.

Asked whether the country would face fuel crisis due to supply chain disruption amid war, Kabir said Bangladesh currently has sufficient reserves.

However, he pointed out that when war erupts in the Middle East, it impacts global oil prices.

In separate meetings, the prime minister discussed post-earthquake disaster preparedness with the disaster management minister, Asadul Habib Dulu, directing officials to prepare a comprehensive action plan. He later met the power and energy minister as the government weighed the broader economic implications of regional instability.