Bangladesh is trying to negotiate the supply of oil with Russia despite Western sanctions as Dhaka is rocked by protests over fuel price hikes, Bangladeshi Ambassador to Russia Kamrul Ahsan told Sputnik.

"Now I am trying to negotiate to import Russian oil. I know there are sanctions of the US, but I am open to discuss with Russia," the ambassador said.

Ahsan stressed that Russia is already helping his country build a nuclear power plant and Russian energy giant Gazprom has a contract to explore gas fields in Bangladesh.

Massive protests erupted in the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka, over the record 52% fuel price hike announced by the government this past Friday.

Students rallied to demand that the government lower fuel prices and cancel the decision to raise public transport fares.

In the past few months, the US, the EU, and its allies have been initiating a series of campaigns against Russia, prompting nations all over the world to follow their lead in terms of economically and diplomatically isolating Russia.

Despite the sanctions and the partial embargo imposed on Russia's oil, the Russian economy has defied the odds in countering oppressive measures.

On July 26, the IMF stated that Russia's economy looks to be weathering the storm better than predicted, owing to high energy prices and strong resilience of domestic demand as a result of government support.

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