With the Russia military offensive in Ukraine intensifying, Sheikh Khaled bin Selim, a Bangladeshi student, joined an endless procession of panic-stricken people streaming out of the port city of Odessa in search of a safe haven.
At the station in Odessa, he met six other young Bangladeshis. In a conversation with bdnews24.com, he recounted his journey from Odessa to the town of Lviv near the border with Poland.
Khaled is a fourth-year student at a medical college in Odessa. Shortly after Russian missiles began raining down on Ukraine on Thursday, he decided to leave the city on the Black Sea for the relatively safe western parts of the country.
“In Odessa, the bus and train stations are next to each other. People were desperately scrambling around to get a ticket. Luckily, I got one and met six other Bangladeshi students at the station.
Due to the huge crowds, an extra train was commissioned that day. Even then, many people couldn't get on board.
"A group of Indian students were in front of me but despite their pleas, they couldn't get on the train. Many Ukrainians were also left behind."
“I first came to Ukraine in 2011 to study medicine. When the war in Eastern Ukraine (Crimean War) broke out in 2014, I took a study break and returned home. Then I came back again and it's the same thing all over again. It seems like war keeps following me."
Some Bangladeshis are still trapped in Odessa, according to Khaled. "After I left, I heard about the missile strikes in Odessa. University and church bunkers have been opened there. My university said that we could take shelter in the bunker of the hostel if we wanted. But I didn't want to take the risk."
Panicked and perplexed, Khaled's weary party have managed to make their way to Lviv, covering a distance of 797 km. But there is no place for them to stay.
There seems to be no end in sight for their woes. Braving the bitter cold, they had been scouring one hotel after the other, only to be turned away.
"This place is teeming with people. You can see the panic in everyone's eyes. Upon arrival, I learned that a siren had been sounded here in anticipation of an air strike.
"It is very cold here. We have no place to stay. Food is also hard to come by. Most shops are closed except for one. Banks are closed so there are long lines in front of ATM booths. I have heard that the booths everywhere are out of money."
"After visiting 10 or 12 places, we somehow found a hostel to stay. Six or seven people have to share one room.”
Khaled did not leave for the border on Friday night.
"The Polish government has opened the border. But I heard that there is a 15-20 km long tailback of cars. They have to stay in the cold. So tonight, I decided not to go that way. Two more Bengali families came from Kyiv. They have kids. They will leave on Saturday and I will go with them. If luck is on my side, I might be able to cross the border in 10-12 hours. "
The Bangladesh government has already said that arrangements will be made for its citizens to stay or return home if they can reach Poland from Ukraine.
Khaled has decided to take refuge in Poland for now.
