Bangladesh was not spared from the humanitarian catastrophe caused by Russia's military operation in Ukraine. A day before the war started, the Bangladeshi ship 'Banglar Samriddhi' with 29 sailors anchored at the port of Alvia. Not only was the ship stranded there due to the war, but a sailor was also killed by Russian shelling. This sailor named Hadisur Rahman was the third engineer of that ship. We are deeply saddened by the death of this sailor. Our deep condolences to his family.
It is a matter of relief that the remaining 28 sailors of the ship have been evacuated to a safe place, said the ambassador of Bangladesh to Poland. But we must remember that in a country where war is raging, no place is safe. So the government should try to bring these sailors out of Ukraine.
The number of Bangladeshi nationals residing in Ukraine is about five hundred, all of whom are in extreme insecurity. Already a number of Bangladeshis have taken refuge in neighbouring Poland after a long journey. The government has also asked Bangladeshi nationals to take refuge in neighbouring Poland or Romania. Notably there is no embassy of Bangladesh in Ukraine.
The Bangladeshi embassy in Poland looks after the Bangladeshis there, although allegations of misconduct against embassy officials have come from stranded Bangladeshis. It is very sad. We expect kind behaviour from the embassy officials during this humanitarian catastrophe.
We need to intensify our diplomatic efforts to immediately evacuate Bangladeshis stationed in Ukraine and seek the cooperation of relevant international organisations, including the United Nations. Russia has agreed to a no-fly zone to evacuate Indian nationals based in Ukraine at the request of Delhi.
The Indian government has decided to send four ministers to neighbouring country of Ukraine to look after the stranded Indians. Our foreign minister AK Abdul Momen is on a visit to the United States now. From there it is possible to play an effective role in monitoring the situation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also needs to direct Bangladesh embassies in Ukraine's neighboring countries round-the-clock guidance on their activities and supervision.
Bangladesh government asked the expatriates to take refuge in neighbouring countries of Ukraine. They have been promised of cooperation there. The Polish embassy has already contacted 250 stranded people. But crossing the border is a very difficult task. We have to find a way to rescue all foreign nationals including Bangladeshis even in the war. International organisations can help in this matter.
The concern is that we do not know how long the war will last. The United States and other NATO members are providing arms to Ukraine. Several countries, including Belarus, have sided with Russia. In that case, the war is likely to be protracted and widespread. So it will have a negative impact on trade and commerce worldwide, which is very difficult for Bangladesh to overcome. But first of all, arrangements have to be made to rescue the Bangladeshi nationals trapped in Ukraine and bring them back to the country. In unison with the peace-loving people of the world, we also want the war to end immediately. We wish the problem to be solved through diplomacy.