Photo: Nepali Times

By Newsman, Dhaka, Bangladesh

About 500 Bangladeshi passengers are stranded in Nepal due to flight cancellations by Biman Bangladesh Airlines amid unrest.

The Chief Adviser’s Office (CAO) of Bangladesh reported this on Tuesday night, as the embassy in Kathmandu has received over 350 inquiries from concerned families.

The CAO said the stranded include about 100 Bangladeshis on official visits, including government officials and a football delegation, while the remainder are tourists and private travellers.

Dhaka has treated the situation as a consular priority. The embassy and the CAO posted emergency guidance. They shared direct Biman contacts in Kathmandu to speed assistance and rescheduling, urging nationals to remain indoors and stay in touch.

Biman General Manager ABM Rawshan Kabir announced that stranded passengers are accommodated in hotels and will return when conditions allow. Hotel arrangements were also for passengers from Dhaka headed to Kathmandu.

The state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reports that the government is making all-out efforts to ensure the safe and swift return of the Bangladesh national football team from Nepal.

Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan is actively monitoring the situation and coordinating efforts around the clock.

Due to recent political instability in Nepal following the Prime Minister’s resignation, the Bangladesh government is in direct contact with the Nepalese Army to ensure the safety of its squad, according to BSS.

The CAO reported that, in addition to the 36-member national football team, there is also a 51-member delegation from the Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) in Mirpur, as part of their overseas study tour.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Bangladesh stated that they are closely monitoring the situation in Nepal. The government expresses its condolences for the loss of life, sympathizes with affected families, and wishes a swift recovery for those injured.

“Bangladesh hopes that all sides will exercise maximum restraint and engage in peaceful and constructive dialogue to resolve any differences,” the MoFA said.

“As a longstanding friend and neighbour of Nepal, Bangladesh remains confident in the ability of the resilient people of Nepal to restore peace and ensure stability,” they added.

Earlier, the Embassy of Bangladesh in Kathmandu issued an urgent notice, advising all Bangladeshi nationals in Nepal to remain inside their hotels or residences and avoid going outside due to the country’s ongoing security situation.

The notice also urged inbound Bangladeshi passengers to postpone travel to Nepal “until further advice.”

The one-page advisory, stamped and issued by the Embassy of Bangladesh in Kathmandu, gives two emergency contact numbers for Bangladeshis needing assistance: Mr. Sadek — +977 9803872759 and Ms. Sarda — +977 9851128381.

The crisis, born of digital censorship and fueled by deep economic grievances, has been organized on short-form apps and has remade the city overnight.

The flashpoint was an order to block major social platforms. Within hours, students and young workers organised mass demonstrations under the banner “Gen Z,” using TikTok, Viber, and other channels to mobilise.

What began as calls for an end to a content-registration rule soon evolved into a broader eruption against corruption, nepotism, and scant economic prospects for young Nepalis.

When police used force, the protests hardened. Hospitals reported dozens of casualties as clashes escalated into live-fire confrontations in parts of Kathmandu; rights groups demanded independent probes.

“In view of the adverse situation in the country, I have resigned effective today to facilitate the solution to the problem and to help resolve it politically in accordance with the constitution,” KP Sharma Oli, former Prime Minister, said in his resignation letter to President Ramchandra Paudel, quoted by Reuters.