NEW DELHI, 26 February 2022, (TON): Police said “demanding the safe return of their relatives, the family members of Indians stranded in Ukraine staged a protest near the Embassy of the Russian Federation in central Delhi.

According to police “around 15 to 20 people came near the Shanti Path around 5.15 pm, but they were not allowed to move ahead.”

A senior police officer said “they submitted an MoU at the Ministry of External Affairs and later dispersed from the area peacefully after an hour.”

KATHMANDU, 26 February 2022, (TON): A meeting of the House of Representatives scheduled for 1 PM today to dwell on the US grant Millennium Challenge Corporation, compact has been postponed till February 27.

The meeting was scheduled to take place at the federal parliament building in New Baneshwor at 1 pm.

Earlier, Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota had postponed the meeting scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government is striving its best to get the ‘ready-for endorsement’ MCC project ratified within the deadline given to the MCC office earlier.

Few months back, Prime Minister Deuba and CPN-Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had written MCC office in United States of America and had urged the latter to give few months time to get the grant ratified from the parliament.

Accordingly, US had agreed to wait for five months before making further decision on the project.

DHAKA, 26 February 2022, (TON): State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said “the Romanian government will make arrangements for their two-day stay and then arrange for their return to Bangladesh under the supervision of the Bangladesh Embassy in Bucharest.”

He said “the Bangladesh Embassy in Romania will issue a more detailed notice shortly.”

Emergency contact number for Embassy of Bangladesh in Romania for stranded Bangladeshis in Ukraine who want to cross border from Romanian and Moldova borders.

DHAKA, 26 February 2022, (TON): According to a press release by the Bangladesh Embassy in Warsaw “Bangladeshi expatriates in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia, will now be allowed to enter neighbouring Poland without visas.”

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam shared the release mentioning the details on his Facebook page on Friday morning.

It said “valid passport holders will be able to enter Poland by showing their passports only to the border guards.”

Those who do not have a passport will also be allowed to enter Poland with a travel pass. Every Bangladeshi who wants to cross over has been asked to carry two copies of passport-sized colour photos, said the release.

NEW DELHI, 26 February 2022, (TON): Hours after his country came under attack, Ukraine’s Ambassador to India, Igor Polikha, said Kyiv is “deeply dissatisfied” with India’s position on Russian aggression.

While pleading” for India’s support, he said “I don’t know how many world leaders (Russian President Vladimir) Putin may listen to but the status of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji makes me hopeful”.

As events unfolded rapidly in Ukraine, Polikha said “I am following all the reports from the side of your ministry and the latest advisory to your citizens in Ukraine was just not to go out, not to go to Kyiv, and the statement of your Minister of External Affairs was that India is closely following development of events. We are deeply dissatisfied with their positions.”

What does it mean? Closely following or more closely? Now, 10-15 people are killed. When hundreds of thousands are killed, what will happen? We are waiting, we are asking, we are pleading for the strong voice of India.”

DHAKA, 26 February 2022, (TON): Malaysian Plantation, Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Majah Zuraida Binti Kamaruddin has laid emphasis on further expanding trade and investment relationship between Bangladesh and Malaysia.

A press release said “he said during a meeting with a delegation of the Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI) led by its President Syed Almas Kabir at a hotel in the city.”

At the meeting, Datuk Majah Zuraida Binti Kamaruddin agreed to promote cooperation between Bangladesh and Malaysia in the palm and other industries.

Syed Almas Kabir explained to the Malaysian minister about the efforts put in place by the Bangladesh government and the business sector to enhance the trade and investment of the palm industry such as joint venture on the processing factory in Bangladesh, investment opportunities in agro-processing industries, and take advantage to set up a special economic zone for Malaysia.

He informed that a Bangladesh business delegation will visit Malaysia to discuss on enhancing the trade and investment of the palm industry.

DHAKA, 26 February 2022, (TON): A total of four Bangladeshi medical students are currently stranded in Sumy, a city in north-eastern Ukraine and the capital of Sumy Oblast, near the Russian border.

The Bangladeshi students, Eva Farzana Akhter, Sabbir Ahmed, Md Rifat Bhuiyan and Md Zia are constantly calling on the authorities for their relocation.

Eva Farzana Akhter told Dhaka Tribune that the students had been seeking help in order to leave the city which is approximately 55 kilometers from the Russian border.

She said "right now, we are hiding in the basement of our dormitory. We do not know if this basement is secured enough for us to survive. We urge the Bangladesh government to try and evacuate us from the eastern side of Ukraine.”

The student said "travelling on our own is not possible under the current circumstances. Martial law has been imposed here and that means there can be no outing. No cars, no buses and no private vehicle can ply the roads. ATM booths and supermarkets are also closed.”

NEW DELHI, 26 February 2022, (TON): Four Air India flights, three to the Romanian capital of Bucharest and one to Hungary’s capital Budapest, were to operate over Friday and Saturday to fly back Indians who are being taken there by road from Ukraine.

The move to evacuate Indians through the western borders of Ukraine follows assurances from President Putin to PM Modi that Russian forces have been instructed to ensure their safety.

The timing will be decided as the evacuees reach the eastern European capitals.

PM Modi will review the situation in a meeting of the Cabinet Committee of Security on Saturday, sources said.

These flights, chartered by the government which is bearing the cost, mark the resumption of evacuation of nearly 16,000 Indians stranded in war-torn Ukraine. By Friday evening, 200 Indians from western Ukraine had been taken to Romania through Suceava border crossing.

The arrival of Indians in Romania marked a breakthrough for government's efforts to bring Indian nationals safely after the Russian assault which had resulted in the closure of the airspace and destruction of runways.

KABUL, 26 February 2022, (TON): The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Foreign Ministry issued a statement Friday calling on Russia and Ukraine to resolve the current crisis through dialogue.

The government said in a statement on Friday that the government was closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine on a neutral basis.

The ministry expressed concern about possible civilian casualties in Ukraine and called on both sides to resolve the current crisis peacefully. The statement said that the two sides should refrain from taking positions that could escalate the war.

Meanwhile, as the longest war of two decades has recently ended in Afghanistan, the world is experiencing a new spot of direct conflict triggered by Russian troops launching attacks on Ukraine.

Shortly after Putin spoke in a televised address on Russian state TV, the Russian troops launched an attack on Ukraine.

Moscow has purportedly launched the all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, air, and sea. Around 40 people have so far reportedly been killed in the offensives. According to Reuters, five Russian planes and a Russian helicopter were shot down in Luhansk region.

The question is, will the tension in Ukraine sideline Afghanistan from the agenda of the international community?

Afghanistan has recently plunged into an economic crisis following the fall of the Western-backed government of Ashraf Ghani, and this has created a new wave of migration out of the country.

KABUL, 26 February 2022, (TON): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “the Iranian Envoy for Afghanistan pledged his country would jointly work and assist Afghanistan’s economic sector.”

Iranian envoy Hasan Kazemi Qomi, in a meeting with the acting minister of foreign affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi, made the remarks and further said “Iran will assist various sectors of Afghanistan including with mining, agriculture, energy and railways.”

Hafez Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman of the Foreign Ministry said “the Iranian envoy for Afghanistan expressed his country’s readiness to help agriculture, mining and energy in Afghanistan.”

The leadership of the Ministry of Economy who was present at the meeting expressed hopes the meeting would result in progress for the Afghan economy.

Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy minister of Economy said “Iran is an economic and commercial partner for Afghanistan in the region. Iran envoy’s trip will have an impact on developing economic and trade relations between the two countries and such cooperation will benefit both Iran and Afghanistan.”