The Soviet and Russian Alumni Association of Bangladesh (SAAB) on Friday elected its 14th Executive Committee at the Russian House in Dhaka, with nearly 400 members from across the country casting their votes.
Established on August 7, 1982, SAAB is one of Bangladesh's leading alumni organizations, representing more than 6,000 graduates of universities and higher education institutions in the former Soviet Union and the Russian Federation.
Its members have contributed significantly to Bangladesh's development in diverse sectors, including education, science, engineering, medicine, research, public administration, business and culture.
The election resulted in a new 22-member Executive Committee, which will lead the organization for the next term. The committee is expected to strengthen SAAB's activities while promoting educational, scientific, cultural and humanitarian cooperation between Bangladesh and Russia.
Speaking at the event, Alexandra Khlevnaya, director of the Russian House in Dhaka, congratulated the newly elected committee and wished its members a successful tenure.
She expressed confidence that SAAB would continue to play a vital role in fostering friendship, mutual understanding, and academic and cultural exchanges between Bangladesh and Russia.
The Russian House also reaffirmed its support for SAAB and its alumni network, highlighting their contribution to strengthening bilateral ties.
It further underscored Russia's commitment to expanding higher education opportunities and government scholarship programmes for Bangladeshi students, expressing hope that future graduates of Russian universities would continue contributing to Bangladesh's socio-economic development while serving as a bridge between the two countries.
The election reflected the enduring partnership between Bangladesh and Russia in higher education, research and people-to-people exchanges, underscoring the growing role of alumni networks in deepening bilateral cooperation.
