200 Bangladeshis reach Poland, Romania from Ukraine

GBNEWS24DESK//

Approximately 200 Bangladesh citizens have so for entered Poland and Romania from Ukraine, said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Saturday night.

“We’re in touch with approximately 700 Bangladesh citizens,” he said, UNB reports.

The government’s efforts are going on to help Bangladesh nationals get into Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova, all bordering Ukraine, said officials.

A team from the Embassy of Bangladesh in Warsaw is working near the Poland-Ukraine border to assist Bangladeshi citizens wishing to enter Poland. The two countries share an over 500 km long border.

Earlier, Bangladesh asked its nationals stranded in Ukraine to contact the country’s diplomatic missions in the neighbouring European countries while Poland and Romania came forward to provide temporary shelters for Bangladeshis.

Nearly 120,000 people have so far fled Ukraine for Poland and other neighboring countries in the wake of Russian invasion, reports AP quoting the U.N. refugee agency on Saturday.

The number was going up fast as Ukrainians grabbed their belongings and rushed to escape from a deadly Russian onslaught on their nation, including an attempt to take the capital. Poland has declared its border open to fleeing people, even for those without official documents.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday issued helpline numbers for the stranded Bangladeshi nationals to help them get into Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova, all bordering Ukraine.

For Slovakia and Hungary, Bangladesh nationals have been asked to get in touch with the Bangladesh Embassy in Austria.

They can reach Rahat Bin Zaman, Deputy Chief of Mission on +43 688 60344492 and Jubayadul H Chowdhury on +43 688 60603068 in Vienna.