Bangladeshi nationals living in Ukraine has been advised to leave the country due to uncertainties caused by the current situation there.
“In view of the uncertainties of the current situation in Ukraine, Bangladeshi nationals in Ukraine may consider leaving Ukraine temporarily,” said the Embassy of Bangladesh in Warsaw, Poland that oversees Ukraine, in a statement today.
It also advised the Bangladeshi nationals there to avoid all non-essential travel to Ukraine and keep the embassy informed about the status of their presence in Ukraine to enable the embassy to reach them where and when required.
There are about 500 Bangladeshis including students living in Ukraine, expatriate Bangladeshis said.
Asked about it, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said Bangladesh advised the expatriate Bangladeshis in Ukraine the way it does if there is any conflict in a country or region. “We did the same in the case of Ukraine,” he told reporters at the foreign ministry today.
The Bangladeshi embassy in Poland or other nearby countries will be ready to help in any way possible, he said.
Asked about the situation in Ukraine, Khaled Mosharraf, a Bangladeshi from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, said the situation appeared normal with all offices and businesses operating as usual, as the government communicated messages in a way that there was no panic.
In some cases, there is a tendency among people to save money, instead of making many purchases, in case there is a crisis, Khaled said.
There is also no situation that foreigners are leaving Ukraine. Some tourists are only cutting short their visit to Ukraine, but it is also not very widespread, he said.
Russia has amassed 100,000 soldiers close to the Ukraine borders, and the US said it would impose severe sanctions against Russia if it attacks Ukraine.
In 2014, Russia invaded and then annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine, which became an independent state with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Ukraine has been increasingly seeking to become a NATO member since Russia’s annexation of Crimea – a move that Russia has been opposing. The US has also been supporting Ukraine’s move.
While the diplomatic move to calm the tension over Russia-Ukraine tension, there is also risk of a war.