Russian envoy meets Fakhrul, discusses election, humanitarian corridor

Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Khozin met BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today (4 May) and discussed various issues of bilateral interest, including Bangladesh's next election and the planned humanitarian corridor to Myanmar's Rakhine.

The hour-long meeting, which began at 11am, was held at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office.

BNP Standing Committee member and Chairperson's Foreign Affairs Advisory Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Organising Secretary Shama Obaed were also present at the meeting.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Amir Khosru said they discussed various issues related to mutual interests between the two countries.

He said Russia is keen to enhance its relations with Bangladesh—ties that date back to the country's Liberation War in 1971.

"They (Russia) have interests in several areas to advance this relationship, such as investment in Bangladesh and increasing trade," the BNP leader said.

He said they also talked about Bangladesh's next national election. "They (Russia) wanted to know how soon the elections could be held."

Khosru said not only Russia, but also most foreign countries are waiting for an elected government in Bangladesh through a credible election.

He said foreign countries feel comfortable working with an elected government, as it is easier to make decisions with such a government on various mid-term, long-term and crucial issues.

The BNP leader said the issue of the Bangladesh interim government's decision to allow Myanmar's Rakhine State a humanitarian corridor also came up for discussion during the meeting.

"We discussed it, as everyone has concerns over the matter. All want to see stability in the region. No one wants to see geopolitical instability, because if this region is unstable, it will not benefit anyone. Not only will Bangladesh suffer from insecurity, but the entire region will also be insecure, and no one will benefit from it," Khosru said.

He said they also talked about the potential for energy cooperation between the two countries, as Russia is an energy-rich country.

The BNP leader said they mentioned some obstacles to improving business between Bangladesh and Russia, such as facilitating market access, simplifying trade facilities, and resolving problems with bank transactions. "We have talked about these issues. They said they would look into these matters."

He said they also discussed the Rooppur Nuclear Power Project, and Russia wants to complete the project, since they are already involved in it.