Russian Navy Squadron visits Bangladesh amid political tensions with US

Sanjoy Kumar Barua

A Russian Navy squadron from the Pacific Fleet arrived at Bangladesh’s main port of Chattogram on Sunday, marking the first such visit in over 50 years.

The Russian Embassy in Dhaka remarked in a statement that the visit marked a “huge milestone” for Russia-Bangladesh relations.

The verified Facebook page of the Embassy of Russia in Bangladesh posted the photos with the caption, “The Russian Pacific Fleet Squadron is visiting the Chattogram Port, which is a huge milestone for Russia-Bangladesh relations. The last time Russian/Soviet naval ships visited Bangladeshi ports was 50 years ago.”

The verified X (formerly twitter) page of the Russian embassy posted a short clip of Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Mantytskiy walking on the deck of a ship while the crew stood at attention, hands raised in salute.

Media reported that the Russian naval flotilla comprised anti-submarine warships Admiral Tributs and Admiral Panteleyev and the oceanic tanker Pechenga.

Alexander Mantytskiy, the Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh, was quoted as saying that the previous visit by Russian Navy to Bangladesh was during 1972-74 to clear out mines from the newly- independent nation and save it from a “humanitarian catastrophe”.

During Bangladesh’s War of Liberation in 1971, the Pacific Fleet warships had played a decisive role in deterring American nuclear strike Corp USS Enterprise from making its way to the Bay of Bengal.

Confirming the arrival of the Russian naval fleet, Chattogram Port Authority secretary Md Omar Faruk told the journalist that it was a friendly visit from Russia to Bangladesh.

Naval ships from Turkey and France also came recently on such friendly visits, he said.

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 IMO (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 warships’ call at Chattogram port takes place amid growing political tensions between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government and the US ahead of the Bangladesh’s federal election slated for January.

Hasina has accused the Biden administration of interfering in Bangladesh’s internal political process by slapping visa restrictions and threatening to impose sanctions on sitting Bangladeshi officials.

The US has consistently criticized the Hasina government for its action against opposition protestors, who have been demanding that the Prime Minister steps down and instates a care-taker government ahead of the election.

Meanwhile, officials from the ruling Awami League have blamed Peter Haas, the US Ambassador to Dhaka, of tacitly backing the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and inciting anti-government protests.The ruling party leaders also said the election will be held following the constitution.

However, Ashik Imran, the Russian honorary consul in Chattogram, told Russian government news agency TASS on Sunday 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.

Bangladesh and Russia share historical ties.

The then-Soviet Union played a key role in Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in 1971.