A group of 175 Bangladeshi nationals, who were stranded in Libya while attempting to reach Europe illegally, have returned to Dhaka.

The returnees arrived at Shahjalal International Airport at 8am on Thursday on a chartered Buraq Air flight, according to a media statement from the foreign ministry.

The group includes 30 individuals who were held at the Ganfouda Detention Centre in Benghazi.

The remaining 145 were described as destitute and physically ill Bangladeshis who had been living in and around Benghazi.

The ministry said most of the repatriated citizens had entered Libya through irregular channels, often lured by human traffickers promising safe passage to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea.

Many reported being kidnapped and tortured by trafficking networks during their stay in Libya.

Officials from the foreign ministry, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) received the group at the airport.

The government has urged the returnees to share their harrowing experiences with their communities to raise public awareness about the extreme dangers of irregular migration.

The IOM provided the returnees with immediate assistance, including food, basic healthcare, and travel allowances.

Efforts are ongoing between the Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli and international partners to ensure the safe repatriation of other Bangladeshi nationals currently held in different Libyan detention centres.