Wanted to write on brave, change-maker Sheikh Hasina: Russian professor on his book

Russian Professor Vitaly V Naumkin, who wrote a book on Sheikh Hasina following a long conversation in 2015 with the prime minister, says it was part of his effort to pen down the leaders who are changing the world.

“We have interests in leaders who are changing the world. Sheikh Hasina was one of the first projects. She is a brave woman with tragic family history. There are lots of dramatic events in her life,” he said at a press briefing in Dhaka on Sunday.

Prof Naumkin is the director of the Institute of Oriental Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences. He was the interpreter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman when he visited Russia in 1974.

The press briefing followed his meeting with the prime minister when he handed over three books – two on Bangabandhu and the other on her -“Conversation of Professor Dr Vitaly V. Naumkin with Sheikh Hasina”.

He wrote this conversation in four languages – Russian, English, Bangla and Arabic. The other books he translated in Russian language are “Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Birth of Bangladesh”, and “Unfinished Memoirs of Bangabandhu”.

In the briefing, Prof Naumkin said he did this because Bangladesh is an important country in South Asia.
“It's important to make the Russian leaders and the public to aware of the common heritage and common glory between our countries,” he added.

The then Soviet Union helped Bangladesh in the war of independence in 1971. It had also helped in rebuilding the war-ravaged country after independence.

The professor said his book represents the text of the conversation with the prime minister.
He said she told him about the role of her father, Bangabandhu, the main features of modern Bangladesh, the main challenges of the government in the short and long term, and the pro-active policies of Bangladesh in regional and international platforms.

In the book, the prime minister also expressed her views on the issues of territorial disputes between states, ethnic and confessional conflicts, and her government’s desire to resolve the outstanding issues with neighbours in a peaceful and amicable manner.

The conversation also focused on energy and Bangladesh’s energy cooperation with Russia and India, and assessed the major challenges to the modern world such as international terrorism and climate change as well as uncontrolled migration.

The prime minister also spoke about the great role of the Islamic world in the modern world politics, about freedom of speech and respect of modern religious values and about the settlement of Palestinian, about the role of women in modern society, and the future of relations between Bangladesh and Russia.

Russian Ambassador Alexander Ignatov, Honorary Consul of Belarus Aniruddha Kumar Roy and General Secretary of Bangladesh-Russia Friendship Society Prof Shahidullah Sikder were also present at the press briefing.