The Russian Embassy in Dhaka has clarified that Bangladesh never officially applied to become a BRICS member. According to Anton Chernov, the Political Consular at the Russian Embassy, the Sheikh Hasina government only mentioned interest verbally but never submitted a written application. He shared this during a session with students at North South University, where issues related to BRICS, the Russia-Ukraine war, and media reliability were discussed.
Russian Embassy’s Statement on BRICS
Speaking to students at North South University on Monday (August 18), Anton Chernov, the Political Consular at the Russian Embassy in Dhaka, explained that Bangladesh had not submitted any official request to join BRICS.
He said:
“ব্রিকসের সদস্য হতে শেখ হাসিনা সরকার শুধু মুখে বলেছে। কিন্তু লিখিত কোনো আবেদন করে নাই।”
Translation: “The Sheikh Hasina government only mentioned joining BRICS verbally but did not submit any written application.”
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Questions from Students on BRICS Participation
During his speech, Chernov highlighted the importance of BRICS as a global platform. This led to a question from students: why did Russia not support Bangladesh’s participation in BRICS?
In reply, Chernov again emphasized that Bangladesh’s participation was never possible because there was no formal application.
Movie Session with Students
The embassy organized a special movie screening event at North South University to interact with Bangladeshi students. Officials from the embassy joined students to watch three movies together.
The purpose was to help students understand Russia better and also discuss questions regarding the Russia-Ukraine war.
Media as a Source of Information
Later, while speaking to journalists, Anton Chernov stressed that Russian media can also be considered as a reliable source of information about the ongoing war, alongside other foreign outlets.
He said:
“ইউক্রেন ও রাশিয়া যুদ্ধের বিষয়ে নির্ভরযোগ্য তথ্য পেতে বিদেশি অন্য গণমাধ্যমগুলোর মতো রাশিয়ার গণমাধ্যমও সংবাদের উৎস হতে পারে।”
Translation: “For reliable information about the Russia-Ukraine war, Russian media can also be a source, just like other international outlets.”
Chernov also advised not to depend only on single-source news, as it could sometimes deliver a misleading message.
“একক সূত্রের খবর কখনও কখনও ভুল বার্তা দেয়।”
Translation: “Single-source news can sometimes give a wrong message.”
Source: Ekattor Tv
