United News of Bangladesh

The bodies of two Bangladeshi expatriates killed in an Israeli drone strike in Lebanon arrived at their homes in Satkhira district on Sunday. The bodies of Shafiqul Islam, 43, of Purbapara village in Sadar upazila and Nahidul Islam, 22, of Kadakathi village in Ashashuni upazil, reached their respective villages at around 10:00 am, where relatives, neighbors, and well-wishers gathered to pay their final respects. The arrival of the coffins plunged the entire communities into sorrow. A flight of Qatar Airways QR-0642 carrying the bodies arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport early Sunday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After receiving the bodies at the airport, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam handed them over to the family members of the victims and expressed deep sorrow over their untimely and tragic deaths. The Bangladesh Embassy in Beirut made all necessary arrangements for the repatriation of the bodies. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassy maintained close coordination with the Lebanese authorities to obtain certified police reports, repatriation permits and other required documentation to facilitate the return of the bodies. The government is closely monitoring the situation of Bangladeshi nationals working in Lebanon through the Bangladesh Embassy in Beirut and will continue to provide necessary support to ensure their safety and welfare, the ministry said. The two Bangladeshis were killed on May 11 in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon. Their bodies were brought back home after completion of all required formalities. Family members said both the deceased went to Lebanon only a few months ago in search of better livelihoods and were working hard to support their families. Khaledur Rahman, assistant director of the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Khulna office , visited the bereaved families and said the families of the deceased received cheques worth Tk 35,000 and Tk 50,000 as emergency support at the airport. Besides, the Ministry will later provide Tk 10 lakh in financial assistance, while the state-run Jiban Bima Corporation will extend an additional Tk 3,00,000 to each famiy.

Israeli drone strikes on multiple vehicles across Lebanon on Wednesday killed at least 12 people, including a woman and her two children, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The ministry said seven separate strikes targeted vehicles, including three along a major highway south of Beirut. While it confirmed the overall death toll, it did not provide a detailed breakdown of casualties in each vehicle. According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, two of the strikes hit a key highway linking Beirut to the southern port city of Sidon, while another targeted the town of Saadiyat near the busy route. These attacks alone left eight people dead, including the mother and her two children. Another strike near the northern entrance of Sidon in the early afternoon killed one person and injured another, the Health Ministry said. Three additional drone strikes on vehicles in southern Lebanon claimed three more lives. An Associated Press photographer reported seeing the bodies of three victims at strike sites near the coastal towns of Barja and Jiyeh. The Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in several areas of southern Lebanon, hours after warning residents of six villages to evacuate. The attacks come as Lebanon and Israel are set to hold another round of direct talks in Washington on Thursday, with the Trump administration seeking to ease tensions between the two sides, which have remained in a state of war since 1948. Meanwhile, cross-border hostilities have continued despite a US-brokered ceasefire reached on April 17. Hezbollah said it carried out further attacks on Israel, including drone strikes, as both sides continued to exchange fire. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expressed growing concern over escalating clashes near its positions, warning that peacekeepers are increasingly at risk. UNIFIL said a suspected Hezbollah drone exploded داخل its headquarters in Naqoura on Tuesday, following similar incidents earlier in the week. No casualties were reported, though some facilities were damaged. The current Israel-Hezbollah conflict began on March 2, when the Lebanese group launched rockets into northern Israel shortly after US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Since the start of the conflict, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 2,896 people have been killed and 8,824 injured.