Foreign Minister disclosed this information on Thursday (September 10) in response to a question from Kazi Enamul Haque, an opposition member from Jashore-5 constituency, in the National Parliament.

He said that according to the latest information from Bangladeshi missions abroad, these Bangladeshis are imprisoned in prisons and detention centers in various countries. If any Bangladeshi citizen is arrested abroad, the concerned mission visits the prison or detention center to meet with them, collect necessary information, provide case-related advice and arrange legal protection.

The Foreign Minister said that if the prisoner does not have the ability to appoint a lawyer, efforts are made to appoint a lawyer through the court. If fines need to be paid, arrangements are made by contacting the family. Once the prison sentence is completed, travel permits are issued quickly, air tickets for returning home are provided, and repatriation costs are also borne as needed.

He also said that these services are being provided in coordination among the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the Wage Earners' Welfare Board. In some cases, applications for general pardon are also made to the host country. In recent times, such diplomatic initiatives have been taken to bring back Bangladeshi citizens detained in the Middle East and three Bangladeshi prisoners detained in Myanmar.

Dr. Khalilur Rahman said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will soon launch a special portal to take prompt measures to bring back Bangladeshi citizens detained abroad.