Notable economists, lawyers, and many others have gained recognition as civil society representatives in local and international arenas.

Moreover, among those who returned with higher degrees from the then Soviet Union, there are many who have emerged in discussions as government appointees in state and economically significant positions during the tenure of the previous Sheikh Hasina government.

Analysts say that after independence, a close relationship developed between the then Bangladeshi government and Moscow. As part of this, many students went to the Soviet Union on scholarships in the following two decades. Many are now playing significant roles in the country's civic space as thinkers, researchers, and organizers. Notable figures among these Soviet alumni include senior lawyer and constitutional expert Dr. Shahdeen Malik, CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya and Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, former president of the Bangladesh Economic Association Dr. Abul Barkat, and Director General of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies Dr. Binayak Sen, among others.

Among the Soviet alumni, those who held various important state responsibilities during the previous Sheikh Hasina government include former MD of WASA Taqsem A. Khan, former chairman of Agrani Bank Dr. Khondokar Bazlul Huq, former chairman of Petrobangla Dr. Hossain Mansur, former chairman of Janata Bank and ICB Dr. SM Mahfuzur Rahman, and former chairman of BSEC Dr. M. Kharairul Hossain, among others. This list also includes prominent figures who have played active political roles. Dr. Pran Gopal Dutta, a former Member of Parliament from Cumilla and an ENT specialist, and Dr. Selina Hayat Ivy, who served as mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation for three consecutive terms, also studied medicine in the former Soviet Union.

Among the Soviet alumni, one of the prominent figures playing important and responsible roles in the civic space is a senior lawyer and constitutional expert, Dr. Shahdeen Malik. He completed his Master's degree in law at the Patrice Lumumba People's Friendship University in Russia in 1979. In 1984, he earned another master's degree in law from the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania. From 2010 to 2019, Dr. Shahdeen Malik was the Honorary Director of the Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs. He has also worked as an advisor for multilateral and bilateral organizations, including the United Nations. His career began in 1980 as a lecturer in the law department at Dhaka University. A senior lawyer at the Supreme Court and founding director of BRAC University, Dr. Shahdeen Malik has also served as a professor at the university's School of Law.

Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, a leading figure in the country's civil society, completed his Master's degree and PhD in economics from the Plekhanov Institute of National Economics in Moscow. Upon returning to the country, he has played a significant role in various civic platforms. Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya has served as Bangladesh's former ambassador and permanent representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the UN offices in Geneva and Vienna. In addition to his important contributions to various international organizations and think tank networks, he has served as the General Secretary of the Bangladesh Economic Association for three consecutive terms. He was also a Senior Research Fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS). He is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). Additionally, he serves as the head of the National White Paper Formulation Committee, which was formed by the interim government, concerning the country's economic situation.

Another Distinguished Fellow of the CPD, Professor Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, also studied in the former Soviet Union. He obtained his Master's degree in economics from Khararkiv State University and his PhD in development economics from Moscow State University. He later conducted research at several prestigious institutions worldwide, including Oxford and Yale. He has also collaborated with various international and multilateral organizations. He is a series editor for the South Asia Economic Policy Studies published by Springer and is a member of the editorial board for Rising Powers and Global Governance. Additionally, he is one of the members of the 12-member National White Paper Formulation Committee on the economic situation.

When asked about the many Bangladeshi students who studied in the former Soviet Union, Dr. Mustafizur Rahman told Bonik Barta, "Between 1972 and 1975, there was a very close relationship between Bangladesh and the Soviet Union. During that time, 200-250 Bangladeshi students went to study in the Soviet Union each year. Students went to study in all 15 Soviet republics, including Russia and Azerbaijan. However, after August 15, 1975, that closeness diminished. From 1975 to 1991, the number of scholarships decreased. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, student interest significantly declined. Even so, many still went. Since 1991, students have been receiving scholarships to study only in Russia. Before that, during the Soviet era, students were selected from various organizations based on merit. Additionally, there were students from political parties as well. However, everyone who went at that time did so based on merit."

He further stated, "I secured the first position in humanities at the Dhaka Board from Mirzapur Cadet College. As a result, I received a government scholarship. I went to Russia in 1975 to study economics on this scholarship. Initially, I studied at Kharkiv State University and later completed my PhD at Moscow State University. The education I received during that time significantly impacted my worldview. Since it was a socialist country, there was a strong emphasis on equality, state planning, and women's empowerment. These were positive aspects. However, there were also negative aspects, such as excessive centralization. The negative effects of centralization in planning began to affect their production. There has been criticism about these issues. Nevertheless, the quality of research in any field was very high."

Professor Dr. Abul Barkat, a professor and former chairman of the Department of Economics at Dhaka University, once served as the chairman of Janata Bank. This former president of the Bangladesh Economic Association went to the Soviet Union in 1973 on a government merit scholarship for higher education. He achieved the highest grades in all subjects for his MSc in Economics from the Moscow Institute of National Economy (Plekhanov Institute). He earned his PhD in political economy of development from the same institution in 1982. He began his career that same year by joining the Department of Economics at Dhaka University.

Professor Dr. Abul Barkat told Bonik Barta, "I went to Russia (then the Soviet Union) in 1973 with a government merit scholarship. At that time, there were two merit scholarships available in each district. Based on the SSC and HSC results, the two best students were awarded this scholarship. I received this government scholarship from the Kushtia district. After arriving in Russia, I spent the first year learning the language. Then, I completed my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in economics. Later, I completed my PhD at the Moscow Institute of National Economics. I returned to Bangladesh in 1982 and began teaching in the Department of Economics at Dhaka University that same year. I worked here for 40 years before retiring in 2022."

Dr. Binayak Sen, the Director General of BIDS, completed his Master's in economics in 1982 from Moscow State University. He later earned his PhD from the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. He joined BIDS in 1986. Before that, he consulted for organizations such as IFPRI, ADB, WHO, JICA, UNESCAP, DFID, and UNDP. From 2004 to 2009, he was also a senior economist at the World Bank's headquarters.

Among the political parties in the country, the Bangladesh Communist Party (CPB) had the closest ties with the Soviet Union. When asked about the students from Bangladesh going to study in the former Soviet Union, former CPB president Mujahidul Islam Selim said, "In the 1970s and 1980s, the Soviet Union primarily provided scholarships for higher education based on merit. Some of these scholarships came through the Bangladesh government, while others came through Afro-Asian Solidarity and the World Peace Council. Some were also provided through the Students' Union. It was with these scholarships that Debapriya Bhattacharya, Binayak Sen, and Mustafizur Rahman studied there. At that time, I was in the Khet-mojur committee. I saw that members of families of those killed in the mass uprising were allowed to study in the Soviet Union. The children of two deceased workers were provided with study opportunities then. As far as I know, one of them is now working at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant."

The Soviet Union also offered scholarships in the field of music. As part of this initiative, Timir Nandi received a scholarship from the then-Soviet government in 1973 while he was a student at a music college, allowing him to pursue higher education in music there. Timir Nandi, who earned a master's degree in music, told Bonik Barta, "At that time, Bangabandhu signed an education agreement with Russia. As part of that, I went to study in Russia in 1973 on a merit scholarship. There were six of us who went to Russia for music and choreography. After completing my Master's, I received permission to pursue a PhD. I returned to Bangladesh to obtain the government's permission for the PhD, but the then Ershad government did not grant it."

Many who held significant state responsibilities during the previous Sheikh Hasina government were also Soviet alumni. Among them was Taqsem A Khan, the former MD of Dhaka WASA. He held this position for a record number of terms, extending his tenure five times during Sheikh Hasina's government.

In 1975, he went to the Soviet Union for higher education and earned a master's degree in engineering from the People's Friendship University in Moscow in 1981. He returned to Bangladesh and joined Philips Bangladesh Limited as a production engineer. He also worked for a decade at the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B).

Professor Khondokar Bazlul Haque served as a Bangladesh Public Service Commission member and as the Chairman of Agrani Bank Limited (2009-2014) during Sheikh Hasina's government. He also was President of the Bangladesh Asiatic Society (2022-2023). Last year, he was appointed as an Emeritus Professor at Dhaka University. Additionally, he is a member of the Advisory Council of the Awami League and serves as the Chairman of the Forestry and Environment Subcommittee. He has also held the position of President of the Dhaka University Teachers' Association twice. He earned his PhD from the Institute of National Economy in Russia in 1982.

Dr. Mohammad Hossain Monsur, the former Chairman of Petrobangla, studied at the Moscow Geological Prospecting Institute from 1972 to 1978. This former teacher in the Department of Geology at Dhaka University was appointed as the Chairman of Petrobangla on a one-year contract starting October 18, 2009. His tenure was later extended for an additional four years in two phases. He had also briefly held a position when the Awami League formed the government in 1996.

In the by-election for the Comilla-7 constituency in 2021, Dr. Pran Gopal Dutta, former Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, was elected as an MP unopposed. An expert in ENT (ear, nose, and throat), Dr. Dutta has also served as the personal physician to Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina. He completed his MBBS at Chittagong Medical College in 1976. Then he went to the former Soviet Union on a scholarship, where he first earned a Master's degree (MS) and later a PhD, returning to Bangladesh in 1983.

Another former Soviet alumnus, Dr. Selina Hayat Ivy, created quite a stir in the 2011 Narayanganj City Corporation elections by defeating the Awami League candidate Shamim Osman as an independent candidate. She received a scholarship from the Soviet government in 1985 and obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from Odesa Pirogov Medical Institute, returning to Bangladesh in 1992. She began her internship at Dhaka Mitford Hospital and became involved in politics. In 1993, she served as the Health and Environment Secretary of the Narayanganj City Awami League, and in 2003, she became the Vice-President of the Narayanganj City Awami League. That same year, she was elected as the Chairperson of the Narayanganj Municipality. In 2011, she became the first female Mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation, serving until the government dismissed all city corporation mayors following a mass uprising.

Professor Dr. S.M. Mahfuzur Rahman, former Chairman of the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB), went to the Soviet Union for higher education in 1972. He completed his second Master's in Economics from the People's Friendship University of Russia in 1979. Upon returning to Bangladesh, he joined the Economics Department at Dhaka University. In 2011, during Sheikh Hasina's government, he served as the Chairperson of ICB. In 2020, he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology. That same year, he was appointed a former Director of Janata Bank Limited. In 2023, he was appointed as the Chairman of Janata Bank.

Dr. Mizanur Rahman, former Chairman of the Human Rights Commission, also obtained his LLM and PhD degrees from Moscow's Friendship University. Additionally, he earned a diploma in journalism from there. After returning to Bangladesh, he joined the Law Department at Dhaka University in 1989 and later served as both a professor and the department's chairman. He has worked as a consultant for various organizations, including the World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, and ILO, as well as as a visiting professor at various universities across Asia, Europe, America, and Africa.

Professor Dr. M Kharairul Hossain was Chairman of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) for nine consecutive years. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in 1983 from the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, where he also completed his Master's degree. He has had a long teaching career in the Finance Department at Dhaka University. He took on the role of BSEC Chairman on May 15, 2011, and completed his nine-year term in May 2020. In May 2023, the government appointed Kharairul Hossain as the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) Chairman. However, following the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government after the mass uprising, he resigned from the chairmanship of PKSF.