Bangladesh abstained from voting on the UN resolution to deplore Russia for invading Ukraine for its own interest, says Planning Minister MA Mannan.
“We are not the only ones, several other countries have abstained, like us," he said on Saturday .
The minister’s remarks came while speaking to the media after inaugurating an infrastructure project in Sunamganj.
"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina does not believe in wars or conflicts. We have appealed to Russia and Ukraine to make peace and come to an agreement. Bangladesh will help as much as it can,” he said.
File photo shows Planning Minister MA Mannan addressing a discussion at a hotel in Dhaka on November 6, 2019 Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneDhaka will always prioritize its own interests, said Mannan before adding, “Bangladesh is a member of the UN, not an employee. We will consider our priorities and interests before voting on a resolution.”
In another event in Chittagong, Information Minister Dr Hassan Mahmud said: "Bangladesh abstained from voting for strategic reasons on a resolution in the UN General Assembly condemning Russia's military intervention in Ukraine."
"In many casesBangladesh abstains from voting. This time when the proposal was brought to the UN, many more countries including India abstained from voting. My question to Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is why did India stop? He lost track of what he was saying while giving his opinion on everything".
He said Bangladesh's foreign policy is "Friendship towards all, malice towards none." Of course, we oppose all kinds of conflict. Bangladesh has chosen to abstain from voting due to strategic reasons.
The UN General Assembly convened an emergency session on Wednesday to protest Russia's military intervention in Ukraine. It passed a resolution calling for an end to Russian aggression in support of the majority country.
The text of the resolution deplores Russia's "aggression against Ukraine”.
The resolution, supported by 141 of the assembly's 193 members, was passed in a rare emergency session called by the UN Security Council while Ukrainian forces battled to defend the port of Kherson in the face of air strikes and a devastating bombardment that forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee.
Other than Bangladesh, 34 countries, including India, Pakistan and China, abstained from voting, while five countries voted against the resolution.
While General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they carry political weight, with Wednesday's vote representing a symbolic victory for Ukraine and increasing Moscow's international isolation. Even Russia's traditional ally Serbia voted in favour of the resolution.
Our Chittagong correspondent Pimple Barua contributed to this report
