Staff Reporter:
Chinese Ambassador to Dhaka Yao Wen yesterday met with LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at his office at the Secretariat.
Various bilateral issues of mutual interest were discussed during the meeting.
Local Government Division Secretary Md Rezaul Maksud Jahedi was present.
The discussions covered Bangladesh-China bilateral relations, mutual cooperation, trade, investment and development partnership. Both sides reiterated their determination to further strengthen the historic friendship and strategic cooperation between the two countries.
Issues including waste management, waste-to-energy generation, capacity building of city corporations, and operation of the Amin Bazar Water Treatment Plant were also discussed.
China’s cooperation in the development of the local government sector came up in the talks as well.
After the meeting, Mirza Fakhrul, who is also the BNP Secretary General, told reporters that several Chinese-funded projects are currently underway in Bangladesh. Efforts are ongoing to further enhance cooperation. There was detailed discussion on how China could extend greater support in various local government sectors, he added.
The minister said Bangladesh has long been seeking a solution to the Teesta River issue. China has ex-pressed interest in cooperating on the Teesta project on its own initiative. However, details can be shared only after the government takes a policy decision in this regard, he said.
Describing Bangladesh’s relations with China as historic, Mirza Fakhrul said China is a major develop-ment partner of Bangladesh and the relationship will deepen further in the future.
