Bangladesh's ambassador to Libya, Major General Md Habib Ullah, has met the head of Libya's Illegal Migration Control Department to discuss the safe return of Bangladeshi nationals held in detention centres across the country, the Bangladesh embassy in Tripoli said Tuesday.

The meeting with Director General Brigadier General Idris Saleh was held on September 14, according to the embassy. Discussions focused in particular on the health, security, and repatriation of Bangladeshis held at the Bir al-Ghanam detention centre.

Deputy Director General Brigadier General Ali Dau and the embassy's labour counsellor also attended the meeting, the embassy said.

Ambassador Habib Ullah said the embassy was working tirelessly to ensure the safe and dignified return of Bangladeshi nationals detained in Libya's detention centres. He said the mission regularly visits detention facilities and arranges repatriations in cooperation with Libya's interior ministry and international migration agencies.

The ambassador said he had personally visited the Bir al-Ghanam centre and met with detained Bangladeshis and sought the director general's cooperation in speeding up their repatriation process.

In response, Saleh welcomed Bangladeshis living and working legally in Libya. He said Bangladeshi nationals held at the Tajoura and Bir al-Ghanam centres in Tripoli had either been rescued at sea or intercepted while preparing to travel to Europe by boat.

Saleh pledged continued cooperation with the embassy on the repatriation of irregular migrants and welcomed the embassy delegation's visit to the Bir al-Ghanam centre, promising further assistance.

Both sides agreed to raise awareness of the risks of irregular migration and to strengthen cooperation in addressing related challenges and decided to maintain regular contact and continue working together, the embassy said.

The embassy noted that 340 vulnerable Bangladeshi nationals who wished to return voluntarily were recently repatriated safely and free of cost, with cooperation from Libya's interior ministry and the Illegal Migration Control Department.