On Monday, June 16, an Israeli airstrike in Tehran, the capital of Iran, impacted the residential area where officials of the Bangladesh Embassy reside. Among those affected was Walid Islam, the embassy’s First Secretary, whose residence was severely damaged. Fortunately, he was not home at the time of the attack and escaped unharmed. According to reports, the Bangladeshi embassy staff primarily live in the Jordan neighborhood, located in Tehran’s District 3, which houses several important facilities, including Iran’s state television building—one of the declared targets of the Israeli strikes. Residents had been warned to evacuate in advance, reducing casualties, though significant structural damage occurred across the area.

Speaking to the media, Walid Islam described the extent of the destruction, stating his home was completely demolished, with only a few diplomatic residences left standing nearby. He added that many Bangladeshis in Tehran and the nearby city of Bandar Abbas had been reaching out to the embassy in fear and distress, calling for assistance amid the deteriorating security situation. The emotional appeals were overwhelming, he said.

Walid also highlighted that around 20 Bangladeshis had recently traveled to Tehran for kidney transplants and had been advised to remain near hospitals, which were initially considered safer. However, when hospitals were also attacked, those patients and their families became even more terrified. Efforts are now underway to maintain contact with them and to explore ways to relocate them to safer areas.

The embassy is currently attempting to move around 40 of its staff members to Varamin, while arrangements are being made to keep Bangladeshi students in nearby suburbs of Tehran. With air travel in and out of Iran currently suspended, the embassy is hoping that even a brief ceasefire might allow for an evacuation effort.

According to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, approximately 400 Bangladeshi nationals are currently residing in Tehran, out of a total of about 2,000 Bangladeshis living in Iran for work, education, and medical purposes. Authorities in Dhaka confirmed that all Bangladeshis in Tehran are safe for now and have set up emergency hotlines in both Tehran and Dhaka to assist those in need.