Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said Bangladesh didn't vote against any country, but it stood for humanity in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), clearing Bangladesh's stance regarding the issue.
"When there was a vote against Russia we didn't go for it, but when, the issue of human rights appeared in the second proposal of UNGA, Bangladesh voted in favour of it," she said.
The premier said this at the parliament while replying to a supplementary question from Jatiya Party lawmaker Md Mujibul Haque of Kishoreganj-3 regarding the vote against Russia in UNGA's second proposal.
She said the Ukrainian people are facing distress, becoming refugees and children are also suffering due to the war.
"As the issue of human rights was involved, Bangladesh stood for it. It is very clear and no one should have confusion about it," she added.
Sheikh Hasina said when the first proposal was tabled in the UNGA, Bangladesh found that there was no issue of human rights, no initiative of stopping the war and no other issues rather only a vote against a country which is Russia.
"To see it, I decided not to vote," she said.
The prime minister, also the leader of the house, said the war didn't begin automatically, rather there might be someone who is provoked and forced to begin the war.
She questioned why a single country should be condemned?
In this context, she said: "We abstained from voting."
The prime minister mentioned that Russia is a friendly country to Bangladesh and it stood beside us when the seventh fleet was sent towards Pakistan during the War of Liberation in 1971.
"Russia stood by us in our bad time and we are surely beside the country, but if Russia does anything unjustified then we do not condone it," she said.
