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Published : 18 Jun 2025, 01:08 PM
The residence of a Bangladeshi diplomat has been destroyed in Israel’s attack on Tehran, the capital of Iran, BBC Bangla reports.
The official, Oalid Islam, is the first secretary at the Bangladeshi embassy in Iran.
His residence was located in the “Jordan” neighbourhood of Tehran, an upscale district in the city.
The area is near an Iranian naval base and includes several important pieces of civil infrastructure, including the state television building.
On Monday, an Israeli strike in the area damaged numerous houses. Among the affected properties was Oalid's residence.
However, he survived the attack as he was not home at the time.
BBC Bangla reported that they spoke directly to Oalid, who said: “My home has been completely destroyed.”
Israel had issued a warning before carrying out the strike in the region on that day. The prior notice helped reduce casualties, but a large number of structures were damaged.
Oalid told BBC Bangla, “There’s nothing left around us. Only a few diplomats’ houses, but everything else nearby has been ruined."
According to the report, following the Israeli military's alert regarding their impending strike on district No. 3 of Tehran on Monday afternoon, Dhaka instructed all Bangladeshi embassy staff and nationals in the area to evacuate immediately.
The Bangladeshi diplomats vacated the embassy complex in Tehran afterwards. They are currently staying in another part of the city.
However, as the scale of Israeli attacks continues to escalate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now planning to relocate Bangladeshi nationals outside Tehran.
At a briefing in Dhaka on Tuesday, Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique said about 400 of the estimated 2,000 Bangladeshis in Iran are currently in Tehran -- the group now considered most at risk.
"We’ve already started relocating those in Tehran to safer zones,” he said.
Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military targets began early Friday, around 4am local time, and have continued for six days.
In this dire situation, people are leaving Tehran. The roads in the city have seen severe tailbacks over the past few days as people attempt to evacuate by car, triggering fuel shortages at petrol stations.
BBC Bangla reported that many Bangladeshis are contacting the Bangladeshi mission in an effort to leave Tehran.
Oalid told the outlet, “Many are calling in tears, saying, ‘The situation here is not good—please save us’.”
Israeli airstrikes are also taking place in cities outside Tehran. People from those areas are also reaching out to embassy officials, pleading to be evacuated to safer places.
However, Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul said the process of safely evacuating Bangladeshis from Tehran amid repeated attacks has encountered numerous complications.
Citing the ongoing state of war, he mentioned concerns about security, the suspension of flight operations, and US sanctions that have complicated the urgent fund transfers for evacuation.
The foreign ministry is also seeking support from allied nations and Iran itself.
“We’re trying every available mechanism. But in wartime, nothing is easy,” he said.
The interim government has also launched an emergency hotline for Bangladeshis living in Iran and their families.
The authorities on Monday said at a briefing that hotlines have been activated at both the Bangladeshi embassy in Tehran and the foreign ministry in Dhaka.
