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Chinese Communist leaders meets BNP leaders
Govt seeks Chinese aid for Padma Bridge
2/8/2006
The government has sought Chinese assistance for the construction of proposed Padma Bridge, reports UNB.
LGRD Minister and BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said this while he was talking to reporters after a bilateral meeting between the visiting delegation of Chinese Communist Party and BNP's senior leaders at the state guesthouse Meghna in the city Tuesday.
The six-member Chinese delegation was led by Chinese Communist Party International Division Head and Minister Wang Jiarui at the meeting while Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan led the BNP team.
Law Minister Moudud Ahmed, Environment Minister Tariqul Islam, Food Minister Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, Chief Whip Khandaker Delwar Hossain, BNP Standing Committee members KM Obaidur Rahman and Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui, and Mahbubur Rahman represented BNP at the meeting.
Also present on the occasion were Ai Ping, DG International Division of Chinese Communist Party, Zhang Xuyi, Xiao Ning Ning, Zhao Yin and Zhao Qiang. The Chinese Ambassador in Bangladesh, was also present.
Mannan Bhuiyan said: "We have requested the delegation of Chinese Communist Party to provide assistance for the proposed Padma Bridge and they will inform us about it after discussion with their authorities."
The Minister said: "China has constructed many bridges in Bangladesh and we told the delegation that we need to construct more bridges."
Bhuiyan said there is a huge trade gap between the two countries and the meeting discussed ways to reduce the gap. "China has already given tax-free access of many Bangladeshi products to their market and we asked for more. We have asked the Chinese delegation to extend further economic assistance and invest more."
Talking to reporters through an interpreter after the meeting, Chinese Minister Wang Jiarui said they have learned a great deal from the meeting. "At the meeting we had extensive exchanges of views. We have talked about the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party, socio-economic development of China and bilateral issues."
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