Russia sent that ship knowingly

Russia knowingly sent the US-sanctioned ship carrying equipment for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, something that is surprising and unexpected, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said yesterday.

"It is surprising that Russia knowingly sent a sanctioned ship by changing its name. We did not expect it. Now, we expect that Russia will send equipment by non-sanctioned ships," he told reporters at the foreign ministry.

Dhaka conveyed to Moscow that Bangladesh will not accept the 69 Russian ships, which are under sanctions, noting that Bangladesh has developed a good relationship with the US.

Momen said Russia has thousands of ships and they can send any ship except for those 69.

Russian flag carrier Ursa Major was not allowed to unload at Mongla Port on December 24. Before that, the US embassy on December 20 informed the foreign ministry that the ship was actually Sparta-3, which was sanctioned by the US.

Dhaka could face penalty if it unloaded the equipment in Bangladesh.

The ship was not allowed to unload its cargo.

The ship then went to Haldia Port of West Bengal for unloading, but after waiting two weeks to get permission from New Delhi, the ship left Haldia on January 16.

Despite US sanctions on Russia, India has been buying oil from Russia.

On December 29, Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for India's external affairs ministry, told the BBC in New Delhi that he did not have any information about the Russian ship being denied berth by Bangladesh, but it was okay if the ship arrived in India.

"But for the sake of our energy security, we will bring oil from wherever we get it. This is our policy. The same policy is applicable for other products too," he said.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam yesterday told reporters that there had been no guarantee that the Russian ship could offload cargo in India.

"The rules for sanctioned ships are applicable equally everywhere," he said.

Asked how the equipment for the power plant would be supplied, Shahriar said it is a commercial deal and the supplier company will do it in a way that is appropriate.