Russian President Vladimir Putin has felicitated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her assuming office for the third time.
“Russian Ambassador Alexander A Nikolaev conveyed the message to the Prime Minister,” Hasina’s information adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said to bdnews24.com.
In a statement last Friday, Russia endorsed the Jan 5 general elections in Bangladesh and said it would “engage in constructive partnership” with the government to be formed.
The country also urged both the government and the Opposition to work together to uphold democracy within the constitutional framework.
President Putin said in his message that t Kremlin would further increase Dhaka-Moscow cooperation at all levels.
“Russia counts on the government formed by you to continue the lines aimed at further increase of mutually beneficial Russia-Bangladesh cooperation in all spheres,” read the letter the Russian envoy Nikolaev handed to Hasina.
A section of the international community, especially the West, have criticised the elections. The US has been open in calling for a fresh poll “as soon as possible”
The US, the UK, Germany, Australia and Canada and even Commonwealth have questioned the credibility of the polls saying they saw low voter turnout amid Opposition boycott.
The US, however, later said it would work with Bangladesh’s new government while maintaining that the poll was not acceptable.
Regional powers India and China have, however, unequivocally backed the Hasina government. India said the holding of the balloting was a constitutional necessity.
China said it would like to join hands with Hasina’s government to advance Sino-Bangla “comprehensive and cooperative partnership to a new height”.
Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Nepal, too, have congratulated the new government, expressing their eagerness to work with it.
Now Russia has sided with Hasina, who oversaw the elections as the head of a multi-party Cabinet.
The erstwhile Soviet Union had actively supported Bangladesh’s independence struggle led by the Awami League in 1971 and had stood against the Americans who had sided with Pakistan.
Hasina visited Moscow in January last year.
That was the first visit by a Bangladeshi head of government since Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s trip to the Soviet Union in April 1972 immediately after Bangladesh became independent.
Source: Bd news24
