‘Bangladesh abide by US sanctions against Russia to protect national interest’

Bangladesh had to abide by the US sanctions against Russia to protect the country’s interest, said the foreign ministry on Thursday.

“The US is the biggest trading partner of our country. So to protect the country’s economic and business interest as well as the interest of the nation we took the step,” DG of the ministry Seheli Sabrin told a media briefing.

She was responding to a question why Bangladesh denied entry of the Russian ship Ursa Major, which was sanctioned by the US.

Ms Seheli also mentioned that the ship was also denied by other countries which justified Bangladesh’s position.

Seheli Sabrin, who is the official spokesperson of the foreign ministry, said that the Ursa Major incident won’t affect the ties with Russia, which she said, is a tested friend of Bangladesh.

Recalling the contribution of Russia to the liberation war of Bangladesh she said both countries stood by each other during hard times.

Regarding Bangladesh Ambassador’s report to the foreign ministry about being summoned by the Russian foreign ministry, she said that the ministry got the report where the ambassador narrated the event.

It was mentioned there that Russia did not summon the Bangladesh envoy for denying a particular ship but for Bangladesh’s decision to abide by the US sanction against the 69 Russian ships, which were sanctioned by the US.

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