‘Three Russian Navy war ships—Admiral Tributs and Admiral Panteleev and fuel tanker ‘Pechenga’ left Chattogram port today after concluding its three-day friendly visit,’ said a press release issued by the Inter Services Public Relation Directorate on Tuesday.
The three ships came to Bangladesh on November 12 and their commanders made courtesy calls on the Chattogram Naval Area commander, BN feet commander and the Chittagong Port Authority chairman during their stay in the port city, according to the ISPR release.
The officials of the Russian navy fleet also visited Bangladesh Navy’s war ship, Bangladesh Naval Academy, Navy’s School of Maritime Warfare and Tactics and Navy run school for the children with special needs ‘Ashar Alo’.
The three Russian ships also joined a joint exercise (PASSEX) with the Bangladesh Navy in the Bay of Bengal before leaving Bangladesh, the ISPR release mentioned.
The Russian government news agency TASS on Sunday reported that a Russian naval fleet had called at the port of Chittagong in Bangladesh for the first time in almost half a century.
The naval fleet came around 10 months after the Bangladesh government in January instructed the authorities concerned not to allow any of the 69 mother vessels of seven Russian companies sanctioned by the United States to enter the country’s ports.
The Mercantile Marine Office, Chattogram, issued a circular to this effect on January 16, mentioning the International Maritime Organisation ship identification numbers so that they were not allowed to avail of any services, including certification, renewal, refuelling, and insurance in Bangladesh territory.
The Russian Pacific Fleet Squadron was visiting Chattogram Port, which is a huge milestone for Russia-Bangladesh relations, TASS claimed.
Ashik Imran, the Russian honorary consul in Chattogram, told TAAS that Russian naval sailors this time had called at the port solely on a friendly visit.
‘This is evidence that the relations between the two states are currently at a very high level,’ the Russian state media quoted Imran as saying.
New Age