Wang praises Raushon

The Jatiya Party says visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has lauded Opposition Leader Raushon Ershad.

Wang and Ershad discussed various bilateral issued during a meeting on Monday in Dhaka.

"He (Wang) told madam (Ershad), 'your position is good. You can lead the country's development with the Awami League and the BNP'," Opposition Chief Whip Tajul Islam quoted Wang as saying.

Party chief HM Ershad had ordered his candidates to boycott the Jan 5 polls but a faction, led by his wife, did not back out.

Ershad, too, finally took part in the election and was made the prime minister's special envoy.

Three ministers in the current Cabinet are from the Jatiya Party.

Islam said they had discussed the Jan 5 polls with Wang.

"The Chinese foreign minister told us that China never interfered with any country's internal affairs and never will," he told reporters.

Wang, who came to Dhaka on Saturday on his maiden visit, has met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP chief Khaleda Zia.