According to Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, the 12th parliamentary election in Bangladesh was conducted in compliance with all international norms.

This was her reaction to a query at a routine Moscow briefing. This was disclosed in a post on Friday, January 12, on the Russian Embassy in Dhaka's official Facebook page.

Facebook post from Embassy of Russia in Bangladesh

Sadly, a few opposition parties decided not to take part in the voting process. External attempts to influence the election’s outcome were seen, as we mentioned on November 22 and December 15, 2023,” Zakharova said.

She commended Bangladesh's government for establishing favorable circumstances that allow voters to freely express their preferences in this circumstance.

She declared, "The results of the parliamentary election held on January 7 in Bangladesh have been announced," in reference to the establishment of the new administration. With 222 of the 300 seats won, the ruling Bangladesh Awami League received the majority of the votes.

Additionally, the Russian spokeswoman stated, "The election's legitimacy and adherence to widely accepted standards have been confirmed by over 200 international observers, including those from Russia."

She mentioned that the head of the Russian delegation was Andrey Shutov, a member of the Russian Federation's Central Election Commission.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received congratulations from Zakharova on her election victory on January 11.

Sheikh Hasina was congratulated on her inauguration by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and President Vladimir Putin, she said.