Russia honours Saber Hossain Chowdhury with ‘Order of Friendship’

Russian President Vladimir Putin has honoured Inter-Parliamentary Union President Saber Hossain Chowdhury with "Order of Friendship", Russia's highest state decoration.

Kremlin and Bangladesh embassy in Moscow said this in separate statements today.

"The President of Russia (Vladimir Putin) awarded the Order of Friendship to IPU President Saber Chowdhury (of Bangladesh)," the Kremlin statement read.

It added: "The Order was presented for a major contribution to the development of inter-parliamentary ties, consolidation of cooperation and mutual understanding between the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Inter-Parliamentary Union."

Speakers of the upper and the lower houses of the Russian Parliament Valentina Matviyenko and Vyacheslav Volodin also took part in the ceremony yesterday.

The Bangladesh embassy statement, meanwhile, said the ceremony took place ahead of the inaugural session of 137th IPU Assembly in Russia's historic St. Petersburg city while Chowdhury, also an Awami League lawmaker, "is among very few from South Asian region to be awarded with such honour".

"In the recent years, notable persons like former UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were also awarded with the honour," it said.

A 20-member delegation from Bangladesh headed by the Deputy Speaker Fazley Rabbi Miah is representing Bangladesh in the 137th Assembly of IPU.