Earlier, the Russian embassy in Dhaka told the same news agency that at least 69 Russian ships had been barred from calling at Bangladeshi ports. However, the embassy clarified that the move of not allowing ships under US sanctions did not mean that Bangladesh had banned imports of Russian goods. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova later said Bangladesh had made this decision under the threat of US secondary sanctions. Dhaka, in January, requested Moscow not to use ships under US sanction to carry equipment for the power plant. The plan fell through for various technical reasons, forcing Dhaka’s hand to bar the Russian ship from docking at Bangladesh’s shore.

Source: bd News24 February 26, 2023 20:21 UTC