Bangladeshi cricket greats Mushfiqur Rahim They are stranded at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah as US and Israeli attacks on Iran have led to widespread airspace closures and flight cancellations across the Gulf region. The star wicketkeeper-batsman, who was returning home after performing Umrah in Mecca, shared an emotional social media post in which he described the anxiety and uncertainty faced by thousands of stranded travelers.
Mushfiqur Rahim’s flight returned in mid-air, regional airspace closed
Rahim completed his pilgrimage to Mecca and was scheduled to return to Dhaka via Dubai on Saturday (February 28), in Emirates flight EK 0806. However, soon after departure from Jeddah, the flight had to turn back due to restrictions on regional airspace that followed the increase in intensity of the conflict.
The United States and Israel launched major military operations against Iran on Saturday, with US President Donald Trump announcing that the objective “The goal is to protect the American people, which is to eliminate the immediate threats emanating from Iran.”. The Israeli Defense Ministry took this action against Iran. “pre-emptive” called an attack “To end threats to Israel,” That involved about 200 fighter jets, in what military officials described as the largest sortie in the history of the Israeli Air Force.
Iran responded swiftly with retaliatory attacks against Israeli and US targets in the region, with explosions reported in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. At least 201 people were killed and 747 injured in the attacks on Iran, with more than 160 casualties reported from an airstrike on a girls’ school in southern Iran.
“Only Allah knows when we will return”: Mushfiqur Rahim’s emotional post
Sharing his ordeal on Facebook, the 38-year-old former Bangladesh captain wrote: “Assalamu Alaikum. A few days ago, I came to Mecca to perform Umrah. Alhamdulillah, after completing Umrah, I was scheduled to return to Bangladesh from Dubai via Emirates today.”
He continued, describing the moment when his journey was interrupted: “We took flight EK 0806 from Jeddah to Dubai this morning, but unfortunately due to the war between the US, Israel and Iran all flights have returned to Jeddah and now I am at Jeddah airport along with thousands of passengers.”
The post reflected the utter helplessness of thousands of people stuck in similar situations: “Only Allah knows when and how we will be able to go to Dhaka with other Bangladeshis. I look for your prayers.”
Bangladesh government is monitoring the situation in the Middle East
Youth and Sports Minister Aminul Haq confirmed that authorities were paying attention to Rahim’s situation. Speaking to reporters after inspecting the Kamalapur Stadium in Dhaka, the minister gave an encouraging update: “I am well aware of Mushfiqur Rahim’s condition. I have already spoken to him. He is healthy and is expected to depart on an available flight tonight. We hope he will return to the country soon.”
Rahim is not alone among cricket personalities caught up in regional disruption. England Lions coach and former wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow Are also stranded in Abu Dhabi.
Comments are closed.