Bangladesh’s relations with Russia are set to grow further, especially in the area of manpower deployment. This issue was prominently discussed during the three-day Moscow visit of Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister, Dr Khalilur Rahman, who proposed increasing the number of Bangladeshi workers in Russia tenfold during a meeting on Monday with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.
Currently, around 10,000 Bangladeshis live and work in various sectors of the Russian economy, mainly in the shipbuilding, agriculture and hospitality industries. By aiming to raise this number to 100,000 by next year, Dhaka appears prepared to focus more on exporting manpower to European countries, marking a major shift from its traditional labour markets in the Middle East and Malaysia.
Additionally, the two foreign ministers explored ways to further strengthen cooperation in energy, investment and trade. Bilateral trade has largely been in Russia’s favour, although Bangladesh’s annual exports, mainly ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals, textiles, seafood and vegetables, amount to around $600 million.
On the other hand, Russia’s annual exports to Bangladesh total about $1.3 billion. Moscow’s major exports include wheat and other agricultural commodities. Bangladesh became the second-largest consumer of Russian wheat, importing a record 2.3 million tonnes between mid-2024 and early 2025. Besides, Russia also exports substantial volumes of machinery and fertilisers to Bangladesh.
However, Russia has also made a significant footprint in Bangladesh’s power and energy sectors. It has built the country’s first nuclear power plant at Rooppur at an estimated cost of more than $10 billion, making it the flagship project of bilateral cooperation.
Suffice it to say that the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, which has laid the foundation for Bangladesh’s nuclear energy sector, is expected to generate up to 10 percent of the country’s total electricity once fully operational. The first unit of the plant was commissioned on April 28 this year, while the second unit may also be launched later this year.
In the broader field of energy cooperation, Russian expertise in conventional energy remains in high demand in Bangladesh. For instance, between 2012 and 2023, Gazprom International Limited, a subsidiary of PJSC Gazprom, drilled and completed turnkey projects involving around 20 wells in Bangladeshi gas fields.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another sector with considerable potential for cooperation between the two countries. Russia has already expressed interest in assisting Bangladesh in formulating its national AI policy and establishing AI centres of excellence.
Historically, Russia has proven itself to be a friend in need. It was among the first countries to recognise Bangladesh’s independence in 1972 and subsequently provided significant political and economic support. Between 1972 and 1974, Soviet naval forces assisted in clearing mines and sunken vessels from Chattogram port and its surrounding waters. Around 800 Soviet mariners took part in the operation, during which one naval serviceman lost his life.
Judging by the ongoing engagements in various economic sectors, the prospects for cooperation between Bangladesh and Russia appear bright.
