Bangladeshis stranded in Ukraine being taken to Poland

The government will arrange chartered flights to bring back Bangladeshis who would leave warn-stricken Ukraine and arrive in neighbouring Poland, said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam.

“Our first task is to bring our citizens to Poland safely from Ukraine,” he told reporters at his office on Thursday, adding that they have already talked to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and Biman Bangladesh Airlines about the possible evacuation, reports UNB.

Shahriar Alam urged the Bangladesh nationals to go to Ukraine border with Poland. “Bangladesh nationals will receive on-arrival visas if they go to Ukraine border with Poland. They need to go to the Polish border from Ukraine first at their own arrangement,” he said.

The State Minister said the government is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine. “Dhaka doesn’t support any party in the conflict. We expect a peaceful solution to this conflict through talks,” he said.

He said information of any casualty of Bangladeshi nationals has so far been received. Officials from the Bangladesh embassies in Italy and Germany have gone to Poland. The government will bear the Bangladesh nationals’ two-week expenses in Poland. Poland will allow Bangladeshis to stay for 15 days upon their arrival from Ukraine and the government of Bangladesh hopes to repatriate its citizens much ahead of the timeline.

“They (Bangladesh nationals) will be brought to Bangladesh back within two weeks after they reach Poland. The government is trying to send chartered aircraft to bring them back to Bangladesh from Poland,” he said.

The state minister said they will finalize the modalities of evacuation from Poland and if necessary they will talk to foreign airlines too.

Shahriar Alam said Bangladesh Embassy in Poland is taking preparations to provide accommodation facilities to Bangladeshis stay there until their evacuation.

“The Bangladesh Embassy in Warsaw approached the Polish government on Thursday morning again to issue arrival visas urgently,” he said.