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Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikrom, today said China, as a close friend of Bangladesh, has been extending all-out support to the country’s development.
He made the remarks when outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen paid a courtesy call on him at the Speaker’s office here.
The Speaker said Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman took the first initiative to develop Bangladesh-China relations, while former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia contributed to their continued development.
He said a parliamentary friendship group between Bangladesh and China could play an important role in strengthening parliamentary relations between the two countries, according to a press release issued by the Parliament Secretariat.
Referring to the Rohingya crisis, Hafiz Uddin said Bangladesh faces significant challenges in repatriating nearly 1.2 million Rohingyas and sought China’s assistance in facilitating their repatriation.
Yao Wen said the present government of Bangladesh was elected with the mandate of the people and that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to China had further enriched Bangladesh-China relations.
He described China as Bangladesh’s largest trading partner in development and said Chinese investments in Bangladesh now include medium- and small-scale projects alongside mega projects.
The ambassador said China wants to help Bangladesh develop into a production-based hub in the region. He added that Bangladesh could advance economically by producing ICT and various logistics-related products.
During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on increasing bilateral investment, establishing a Bangladesh-Myanmar-China corridor, the ongoing Rohingya crisis and energy issues.
The Speaker reaffirmed Bangladesh’s support for the One-China policy, saying the country would continue to maintain the policy in the future.
He also invited Chinese companies to explore oil and gas production opportunities in Bangladesh’s coastal areas, including Bhola.
Hafiz Uddin also sought China’s support for Bangladesh’s candidate, Barrister Jahrat Adib Chowdhury, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the Executive Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Officials from the Chinese Embassy and the Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat, including the Parliament Secretariat Secretary, were present at the meeting.