A memorial garden has been created in the residential zone of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant to pay tribute to the Russian and Bengali soldiers who sacrificed their lives in World War II.

As part of this initiative, the Rosatom Engineering Division recently planted trees in Green City, a residential area within the plant premises at Pabna’s Ishwardi, the organisation responsible for constructing the nuclear power plant said in a statement.

According to the statement, Rosatom's staff and volunteers planted a total of 28 fir saplings to initiate the project titled Memorial Garden.

This event marks the first such tribute in Bangladesh and Hungary. Similar programmes are held regularly in countries where the engineering division builds nuclear power plants.

Alexey Deriy, the vice president of Atomstroyexport, said: "We're honouring the sacrifices of World War II through this event. These trees will not only remind us of our ancestors' bravery but also help the environment."

He said Rosatom is committed to environmental protection and collaborates with initiatives regularly.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of the Russian Federation and the Federal Agency for Forestry are supporting this initiative to remember the war sacrifices.

As part of this effort, 27 million saplings will be planted, with each tree representing a fallen soldier from World War II.

Another objective of this initiative is to protect and restore forests, aiding in the reduction of global carbon emissions.

This event occurs annually in different countries, including Russia.

Bangladesh has a longstanding bond with the former Soviet Union. After the 1971 Liberation War, the Soviet Union assisted in rebuilding the economy.

Soviet sailors assisted in clearing mines at Chattogram port and salvaging the sunken ships.

This significant but rarely discussed operation marked a profound foreign contribution by the Soviet Union to Bangladesh's post-independence recovery.