Poland to give shelter to Bangladeshis leaving Ukraine
The Polish government has agreed to issue visas to Bangladeshis living in Ukraine on an emergency basis before their repatriation to Bangladesh, said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam.
"We have contacted the office of the Polish Foreign Ministry requesting on-arrival visas for Bangladeshis stranded in Ukraine and the Polish government has assured us of their assistance," the minister said in a press briefing this afternoon.
But the service has not been launched yet, he added.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Poland will issue visas for 15 days and by this time, the asylum seekers will have to return to Bangladesh.
The government is planning to send chartered planes to bring them back and will bear all costs during their stay in Poland, he assured.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Embassy in Ukraine has opened a Whatsapp group and has been able to contact around 250 Bangladeshis there. Those who want to leave Ukraine have been asked to contact the group.
"The number of Bangladeshis living in war-struck Ukraine could be 500," said the minister.
