Bangladesh Football Team Returns Home on “Emergency Rescue Operation” Flight Amid Nepal’s Turmoil
12th September 2025, Kathmandu
A two-match friendly series between the national football teams of Nepal and Bangladesh has ended on an extraordinary note, with the visiting team being evacuated from Kathmandu on a special military aircraft.
Emergency Rescue Operation
The second friendly match, originally scheduled for Tuesday, was canceled due to the escalating “Gen-Z” protests, which have plunged the country into a state of political turmoil and civil unrest.
The dramatic departure underscores the severity of the situation and its impact on international visitors.
The Bangladeshi team, which had been in Kathmandu since last week, found themselves trapped as the protests intensified. A Bangladeshi sports journalist, Omar Faruk Rubel, who was covering the team, described the experience as unforgettable.
“We were in a way lucky, because we witnessed the Gen-Z movement both in Bangladesh and Nepal,” he remarked, noting the stark difference between a peaceful, albeit significant, movement and the violence that erupted in Nepal.
The team was staying at the Crown Imperial Hotel in Ravi Bhawan, where players and staff had a firsthand view of the chaos. The protests, which began as a youth-led movement against social media restrictions and corruption, had by then turned violent, with incidents of arson, vandalism, and looting reported across the capital.
Captain Jamal Bhuyan, a prominent figure in Bangladeshi football, took to social media to share video clips of fires and express his and his teammates’ fears, wishing for a safe return home. “Everyone was worried about our safety, but thankfully nothing unpleasant happened,” Rubel added.
Initially, the team had planned to fly back on Tuesday, but the widespread violence led to the closure of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), leaving their departure uncertain.
The Bangladesh Football Federation, in coordination with their government, worked tirelessly to arrange for a safe return. With regular commercial flights suspended, the only option was a special flight.
Finally, on Thursday, a military aircraft arrived from Dhaka, bringing immense relief to the players and the journalists with them. A photograph taken upon their safe landing in Dhaka captured the gravity of the situation, with a banner in the background reading: “Emergency Rescue Operation to Nepal.”
This incident highlights the significant disruption caused by the protests, which has gone far beyond national borders. The cancellation of an international sporting event and the need for a military evacuation is a clear signal of the crisis’s magnitude.
The challenges were not limited to the visiting team. Nepal’s own U-23 football team, which was abroad playing in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, also faced severe hardships.
The team, along with its officials and accompanying journalists, was originally scheduled to return to Kathmandu on Thursday. However, due to flight cancellations from Dubai to Kathmandu, they were left stranded for two extra days.
The team spent nearly eight hours at Dushanbe International Airport without proper accommodation before finally securing a hotel.
This ordeal abroad forced the team to spend time reflecting on the situation back home. While in Dushanbe, the players lit candles in memory of those who lost their lives in the Gen-Z protests, a poignant gesture that underscored the deep emotional connection they felt to their country, even from afar.
The team’s return to Kathmandu on Friday evening was highly anticipated by family members and fans, who had been anxiously waiting for them to land safely.
The stories of both the Bangladeshi and Nepali football teams serve as a powerful metaphor for a country in a state of flux. The protests, while rooted in domestic issues of corruption and governance, have had wide-ranging consequences, affecting everything from international diplomacy to everyday travel.
As both teams finally return to their respective homes, the incidents serve as a sobering reminder of the profound impact a national crisis can have on individuals, regardless of their profession or nationality.
For more: Emergency Rescue Operation
