The government yesterday condemned attacks that have claimed innocent lives after two Bangladeshis were killed in a strike in Saudi Arabia amid the US-Israel war on Iran.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said the government was deeply saddened by the deaths and injuries of Bangladeshi nationals in the conflict.

“Continued loss of lives of innocent Bangladeshi civilians in the region is a matter of grave concern,” the statement said, calling on all parties to exercise maximum restraint.

It also urged the international community to take urgent and effective measures to de-escalate the situation and prevent further loss of life.

The two Bangladeshis killed in the attack in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Kharj governorate were Bachchu Miah of Katiadi in Kishorganj and Mosharraf Hossain of Shakhipur in Tangail.

The injured are receiving treatment at local hospitals, while officials from the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh have visited them and are in contact with Saudi authorities to bring back the bodies, the ministry said.

The government is closely monitoring the evolving situation and attaches high priority to the safety and welfare of Bangladeshi nationals in the Middle East, where more than six million Bangladeshis are working, it added.

Meanwhile, the body of migrant worker Ahmed Ali, also known as Saleh Ahmed, who was killed in the United Arab Emirates during a missile strike on February 28, arrived in Sylhet yesterday.

Ali, a resident of Barlekha in Moulvibazar, had been delivering drinking water in the emirate of Ajman after iftar when he was struck by debris following a missile attack on the first day of the war.

His body arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 8:20am on Emirates flight EK 582. It was received by State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare Md Nurul Haque and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam.

The body was later flown to Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, where Expatriates’ Welfare, Overseas Employment and Labour Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury received it along with family members.

“My brother had lived abroad for 27 years.  I believe he was one of the finest expatriates of the country,” said Kamal Ahmed, Ali’s brother, adding that the family had received government support since the news of his death.

Ariful accompanied the body to Barlekha for the funeral and burial.

Briefing reporters in Sylhet, he said four Bangladeshi expatriates have so far been killed in the war. The bodies of the three others will be brought back after necessary formalities are completed.

He said a crisis management team comprising officials from the foreign ministry, expatriates’ welfare ministry and civil aviation ministry was formed on the prime minister’s instruction soon after the war began.

Through the team, the government is providing food support to Bangladeshis who cannot leave their homes because of the conflict, while medical assistance is being arranged for the injured, he added.

Bangladeshi missions have also been instructed to relocate expatriates living near US military bases to safer areas.

Urging expatriates to remain patient, Ariful said the government would take further measures depending on how the situation unfolds.

Bangladeshi expatriates in Lebanon are also receiving different forms of support through the International Labour Organisation.

Earlier in Dhaka, State Minister Nurul Haque said the government has been coordinating with the families of the deceased and providing logistical assistance amid disruptions to international flights.

He urged Bangladeshi expatriates to avoid conflict-prone areas, follow local warning systems and refrain from posting content on social media that could violate the laws of host countries.

Meanwhile, flight operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport have been heavily disrupted since February 28 after several Middle Eastern countries closed their airspace.

A total of 335 flights have been cancelled during this period, including 33 yesterday alone. Despite the disruptions, 243 flights to Middle Eastern destinations have operated to and from Dhaka.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines said it may resume flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi from tomorrow, subject to improvement in the situation and approval from airport authorities.

Flights to Doha, Sharjah, Kuwait and Dammam will remain suspended until further notice, the airline said in a press release yesterday.