As Russian forces occupy two small towns in southeastern Ukraine, Bangladeshi migrant workers and students stranded in the country are calling on the Bangladesh embassy in Poland to arrange buses to take them to borders so that they can enter neighbouring countries.
A Bangladeshi student from Kharkiv said that it was difficult for them to cross the border as vehicles were banned on roads and trains were the only means of transportation.
Bangladesh ambassador to Poland Sultana Laila Hossain in this regard said that the embassy was working to rescue and relocate Bangladesh nationals through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Ukraine.
“We have been trying to contact the Indian embassy since they have relocated their nationals from Ukraine on buses,” she said.
Three Bangladeshis have so far entered Romania and are currently being looked after by the Bangladesh embassy in Bucharest. Another team of Bangladeshi nationals is expected to enter Romania on Monday, according to embassy sources.
Till now, around 500 Bangladeshi nationals have crossed the Ukrainian border to enter Poland, Hungary, Romania, Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Shelter facilities have been opened in Poland for Bangladeshis awaiting repatriation. Each shelter house can hold around 250 people.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh embassy in Warsaw has already started collecting information about those who have reached Poland as well as those who are still stranded in Ukraine.
