China to continue support for materialising Vision- 2041: Home minister

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has expressed his hope that China's participation in the development of Bangladesh will continue to materialise the Vision- 2041.

"As China is a trusted friend of Bangladesh and the relationship between the two countries is improving day by day, it will continue its support to Bangladesh in future," he said.

Addressing a seminar on the occasion of the 74th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, the home minister recalled father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's state visit to China in 1952 and 1957. During that visit, Bangabandhu met Chinese leaders Mao Setung and Chou En Lai.

The Bangladesh-China Silk Road Forum organised the seminar with its chairman, former minister Dilip Barua in the chair, where Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen, Professor Imtiaz Ahmad of Dhaka University, former ambassador Munshi Faiz and dignitaries spoke on the occasion.

The home minister said Bangabandhu wrote a book titled "Amar Dekha Naya China" and described his experiences of visiting China.

Kamal, also a veteran freedom fighter, said the relationship between the two countries is gradually improving after visits from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to China in 2010, 2014 and 2019 and also the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Bangladesh in 2016.

Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasised on mutual cooperation and development in infrastructure, information technology, new energy and agriculture of the two countries and gave instructions for strategic development of the bilateral relations at the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa on 23 August said the home minister.

The Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh said Bangladesh-China Silk Road Forum created attention to China's development and China-Bangladesh relation and contributed a lot by putting forward valuable suggestions for the development of bilateral relations.

"Over the past 74 years, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China has undergone earth-shaking changes, and created the "two miracles" rarely seen elsewhere in the world, namely rapid economic development and long-term social stability," he said.

The Chinese envoy said, our bilateral ties have been defined by mutual trust and joint development, setting up an example of win-win cooperation between the countries of different sizes. The everlasting friendship between the people of the two countries has been continuing from generation to generation."

He said the political mutual trust between China and Bangladesh has been continuously enhanced, adding, "This August, the two leaders held a successful meeting in South Africa after four years, providing strategic guidance for the development of China-Bangladesh relations."

Yao Wen said China supports Bangladesh in safeguarding the national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and in opposing external interference, so that the country can maintain domestic unity and stability and achieve development and revitalization.

"The future of Bangladesh can only be determined by the people of Bangladesh. I have full confidence in the bright future of Bangladesh and China-Bangladesh relations," he said.