Russia and Bangladesh discuss ties amid political turmoil

Moscow has rejected reports of alleged corruption related to the nuclear power plant it is building in the South Asian nation

Moscow will continue to support Dhaka in the international arena, Russian ambassador to Bangladesh Aleksandr Mantytsky said on Tuesday, as he met with Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, the head of the South Asian nation’s interim government.

The interim government was formed earlier this month after the prime minister at the time, Sheikh Hasina, was ousted from power and fled the country following deadly student-led protests. 

During their meeting in Dhaka, Mantytsky and Yunus discussed bilateral ties, including a project for the construction of the 2,400MW Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh, the Daily Prothom Alo reported. The two sides also discussed increased cooperation in food security, energy exploration, and science and technology. 

Mantytsky said the construction of the Rooppur plant, which began in 2017, is in the final stage and will be operational next year. The project is being financed by Russia through several credit facilities, including a line of credit for 90% of the $12.65 billion contract for construction of the plant signed between Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and Atomstroyexport, the nuclear power equipment and service exporter of Rosatom. The loan is repayable within 28 years with a ten-year grace period.

Earlier this month, Mantytsky told TASS that Moscow will work with any leader of Bangladesh willing to engage in an “equal and mutually respectful dialogue” with Russia.

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Economic cooperation between Russia and Bangladesh has been actively developing, the Russian envoy said in May, with bilateral trade reaching $2.7 billion, an increase of 16.5% in 2023 compared to the previous fiscal year. Moscow’s key export items to Bangladesh include grains and fertilizers. 

During the recent meeting, Mantytsky told Yunus that Russian state-run Gazprom has expressed interest in exploring five more gas wells Bangladesh. Yunus recalled the Soviet Union’s support in the country’s liberation war of 1971 and called on Moscow to increase and diversify imports from Bangladesh. At present, readymade garments constitute around 90% of Dhaka’s exports to Russia.

Bangladesh has been in a state of turmoil ever since protests erupted over laws reserving lucrative government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in the liberation war. Hasina was forced to resign after hundreds of people were killed in weeks-long protests. She fled to India where she has been residing ever since.

A war crimes tribunal – which had been set up by Hasina herself – has launched an investigation into mass murder against the former prime minister. The interim government led by Yunus was sworn in on August 8, with the goal of restoring normalcy and overseeing reforms in the country until a new round of elections can be held.