Russia's Putin greets Hasina on her re-election as Bangladesh PM

Vladimir Putin has congratulated Sheikh Hasina on her re-election as prime minister.

The Russian president sent a greetings message to Hasina on Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

In his congratulatory message, Putin appreciated her efforts in strengthening friendly relations between the two countries, the foreign ministry said.

He also expressed eagerness to work “closely" on bilateral and international issues in the coming days, it added.

The ruling Awami League won a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary elections securing 259 seats amid allegations of irregularities by the opposition. It is set to form government for a third consecutive term.

It will be Hasina’s fourth term in office. She headed the government also after winning the 1996 election and returned to power in 2008.

Putin has been heading Russian government since 2000. After two terms as president, he served as prime minister from 2008 to 2012. He was elected president in 2012 and re-elected in March last year.

Russia, which supported Bangladesh in the 1971 Liberation War, is helping the nation build its first nuclear power plant in an ambitious project initiated by the Hasina administration to boost power generation.

Hailed for development efforts and sheltering the Rohingyas from Myanmar, Hasina has received phone calls and greetings messages on her re-election from many leaders and heads of government and state.

Indian Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi sent a message to Hasina earlier on Wednesday.

The leaders who felicitated Hasina earlier include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang, Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena, Bhutan’s King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and Mamata Banerjee and Biplab Kumar Deb, the chief ministers of Indian states West Bengal and Tripura, respectively.