Bangladesh Football Team Finally Boards Flight from Nepal, Returning Home

After being stranded for several days, the Bangladesh national football team finally reached Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal, on Thursday morning. They are scheduled to fly back home shortly after 11:30 am on a special flight. Thanks to the combined efforts of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), the Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu, and the Government of Bangladesh, captain Jamal Bhuiyan, striker Rakib Hossain, and their teammates will be safely repatriated. Journalists who travelled to Nepal to cover the Bangladesh–Nepal fixture are also being brought back on the same flight.

The team’s ordeal began after student–public protests led to the collapse of the Nepali government earlier this week. As a result, all flight operations were suspended from 12 pm, 9 September until yesterday evening.

Once flights resumed, BFF immediately coordinated arrangements to ensure the team’s return.

Bangladesh had travelled to Kathmandu for a two-match series against Nepal.

• The first match was cancelled on 9 September due to the ongoing unrest.
• Attempts to return home that day also failed when the airport was shut down and flights cancelled.
• For the past two days, the players were confined to their hotel under tense conditions.

The unrest peaked on 8 September, when mass demonstrations swept Kathmandu, forcing the Bangladesh team to cancel training. Authorities imposed curfews and called off the following day’s fixture.

Even the area near the team hotel witnessed incidents of arson and vandalism, leaving the players confined indoors.

Despite the volatile situation, BFF and the Bangladesh Government continuously monitored the team’s safety. To pass time and maintain fitness, the footballers used the hotel’s gym facilities.

Timeline of Events

At last, following days of uncertainty and confinement, the Bangladesh football team and journalists are on their way back to Dhaka, bringing an anxious chapter of their Nepal tour to a close.