Residences of Bangladeshi embassy officials in Tehran were damaged in a recent Israeli airstrike on the Iranian capital, with at least one home reported to be severely affected. Fortunately, the official was not present at the time of the attack and escaped unharmed.
Walid Islam, First Secretary of the Bangladesh Embassy in Tehran and the victim of the most significant damage, said, “My home has been completely destroyed.”
The embassy officials reside in an area called Jordan, located in District 3 of Tehran. This area houses several key installations, including Iran’s state television building, one of the targets of the announced Israeli strike on Monday. Residents were reportedly asked to evacuate before the attack, which helped minimize casualties but resulted in extensive structural damage.
Walid Islam described the aftermath: “There’s nothing left around us now. Only a few diplomatic houses remain, but everything else is gone.”
Following the Israeli military’s announcement of the strike, the Bangladeshi government instructed all embassy officials and Bangladeshi nationals in the area to evacuate. Embassy staff subsequently vacated the premises and have temporarily relocated to other parts of Tehran.
As the scope of the Israeli offensive continues to grow, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now planning to move its citizens out of Tehran entirely.
Speaking at a press conference in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon, Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique said, “We are concerned for those who remains in Tehran. They are at risk of further attacks. We are working to ensure the safety of both our embassy staff and the Bangladeshi nationals there.”
The foreign ministry confirmed that around 400 Bangladeshi citizens currently reside in Tehran, and all are safe. Across Iran, the number of Bangladeshi nationals is estimated at around 2,000.
Walid Islam said that nearly 100 people have contacted the embassy and foreign ministry hotline expressing a desire to move to a safer location. The embassy is working to evacuate them, along with 40 embassy officials and staff. “For now, we are trying to relocate everyone to Varamin,” he said. “Arrangements are also being made to keep Bangladeshi students in Saveh, a nearby city.”
However, as Varamin is still located within the Tehran province, many fear it could also come under attack. If the situation escalates further, officials indicated that repatriation of Bangladeshi citizens may be considered.