Desk Report:
Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh, Alexander Grigorievich Khojin, paid a courtesy call on Speaker of the National Assembly of Bangladesh, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram MP, at his office on Thursday (April 30, 2026).
Speaker, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram said that Bangladesh and Russia are genuine friends. Russia’s role in the great liberation war of 1971 was paramount. He said that during the liberation war, the then Soviet government set a unique example of friendship by vetoing for Bangladesh and against Pakistan.
The Speaker said that after the war, the Soviet government came forward to clear the Chittagong port of mines and as a result, the port became operational very quickly. A young Soviet citizen lost his life in the process of removing mines. He said that the Bangladesh government gratefully remembers these contributions of Russia.
He further said that the governments of other countries including Russia have sent election observation teams to Bangladesh in the 13th National Assembly elections, bringing international acceptance to free and fair elections. Democracy was in danger during the last 16 years of Sheikh Hasina’s rule in Bangladesh. The late former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia made many sacrifices during this long period of restoring democracy, which made her a popular leader among the people of the country.
During the meeting, they exchanged views on cooperation in the field of education, human resource export, energy and artificial intelligence between the two countries. During this time, they discussed the crisis of Bangladeshis trapped and injured in the Russia-Ukraine war and its solutions.
Russian Ambassador Alexander Khojin said that the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, a joint venture of the Bangladesh and Russian governments, will initially gradually supply electricity to the national grid due to nuclear reactions. He said that by 2027, it will add 40% of its total production capacity to the national grid.
The Ambassador congratulated him on being elected as the Speaker of the National Parliament. The Speaker emphasized the renewal of the existing Parliamentary Friendship Group with Russia and the exchange of visits of parliamentary delegations.
Members of the delegation of the Russian Embassy and senior officials of the Bangladesh National Parliament Secretariat were present at the event.
