Deputy Speaker leading parliamentary delegation returns home from China

A four-member parliamentary delegation, led by Deputy Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Barrister Kayser Kamal, returned to Dhaka on Saturday after completing a four-day official visit to China’s Yunnan Province.

The delegation arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 2pm.

Prior to their departure from Kunming, Vice Governor of Yunnan Province Yuan Fang bid farewell to the delegation with VIP protocol at Kunming International Airport. The delegation left Kunming for Dhaka aboard a China Eastern Airlines flight at 12:25pm local time.

During the visit, the Deputy Speaker attended the opening ceremony of the 7th China-South Asia Cooperation Forum in Kunming as an invited guest at the invitation of the Governor of Yunnan Province. Representing Bangladesh, he delivered a speech highlighting the importance of strengthening regional cooperation and economic connectivity.

Other speakers at the forum included Yunnan Governor Wang Yubo, Vice Chairperson of Nepal’s National Assembly Laila Kumari Bhandari, Maldives Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam, Sri Lankan Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra, SAARC Secretary-General Md. Golam Sarwar, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil-ur-Rahman Hashmi, said a press release.

The Deputy Speaker also participated as a special guest in the 10th China-South Asia Exposition. Bangladesh Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir addressed the opening ceremony on behalf of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is serving as the Theme Country at this year’s exposition, with 84 Bangladeshi pavilions showcasing local products. The international trade fair, which runs in Kunming until 16 June, has attracted participation from 68 countries.

During the visit, Barrister Kayser Kamal held separate meetings with senior Chinese leaders, including Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress He Wei, Yunnan Communist Party Secretary Wang Ning, and Yunnan Governor Wang Yubo.

In the bilateral meetings, the Deputy Speaker proposed the construction of a direct Kunming-Chattogram connectivity corridor and sought continued Chinese cooperation in the Teesta Barrage project.

He also called for enhanced Chinese support in education, healthcare, agriculture, industry, economic zones, transport modernization and infrastructure development.

Referring to the upcoming visit of Bangladesh’s newly elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to China later this month, the Deputy Speaker said the present government, under Tarique Rahman’s leadership, would continue to attach high priority to Bangladesh-China relations, following the policies pursued during the administrations of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

Chinese leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working closely with Bangladesh’s democratic government and expressed optimism about expanding cooperation in various development sectors. They also described Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s forthcoming China visit as ‘highly significant’.

The Chinese side expressed hope that the Deputy Speaker’s visit would contribute to increased Chinese investment in Bangladesh, stronger bilateral diplomatic relations, and expanded cooperation in healthcare, education, industry, modern transportation and trade.