Bangladesh ‘extremely happy’ to see Russia’s comeback in global politics

Bangladesh is “extremely happy” to see the Russia’s “comeback” in the global politics with the hope that the former Soviet Union will stand by the smaller countries of Asia.

Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque made the remarks at a seminar on Bangladesh-Russia relations in Dhaka on Tuesday.

“With all aspiration we see how Russia has made a huge comeback in the global politics. We are extremely happy to see that,” he said.

He, however, said Russia’s comeback would be “depending on how it eventually makes its presence felt in Asia and how it helps smaller countries with less power that will determine greatly Bangladesh, and Russia relations.”

“In the foreign office we are extremely hopeful that the relationship will only go up and up,” Shahidul added.

The Bangladesh-Russia Friendship Society organised the seminar at Dhaka Club with its President Prof AAMS Arefin Siddiqui, former vice-chancellor of the Dhaka University, in the chair.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia Md Saiful Haque, and the Minister-Counsellor of the Russian Embassy in Dhaka Sergey A Popov also spoke at the seminar.

General Secretary of the Society Md Shahidullah Sikder, pro-vice-chancellor of the BSMMU, presented the keynote.

They spoke on the ups and downs of the relations with Russia which was the best friend of Bangladesh along with India during the 1971 war of independence.

But after the 1975 massacre when the founding father of Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated, the relations went down.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Moscow in 2013 was first by a head of government after 1972 when Bangabandhu visited Russia.

Both sides now have agreements for cooperation in different sectors particularly defence, trade and energy.

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) now stands as a "signature" initiative and Bangladesh is soon going to enter the elite club of the nuclear power.

Ambassador Saiful Haque said there was “dark phase” in the relations.

“There was a time when Russian degrees were not accepted in Bangladesh. Many of us studied in Russia but did not get jobs here,” he said, indicating the days after the 1975.

“MSc engineering was considered as BSc engineering in Bangladesh,” he recalled, adding that for 41 years, there was no visit at the high level.

“We have passed those days. Now with the Russian help, we are going to have nuclear power. This will change the profile of Bangladesh. We’ll be a member of the nuclear club”.

In the way forward, former vice-chancellor Arefin Siddiqui said people-to-people contact must be strengthened, particularly among the young generation.

He said university students-exchange programmes should be expanded to Russia along with those to India and China.

“We must give the relations with both India and Russia a special place because they helped us during our independence”.