Bangladesh takes China’s help to expand state-run BTV

The government is building six independent Bangladesh Television stations in divisional headquarters with the support of China as Beijing eyes deepening media cooperation with Dhaka.

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu on Sunday said they are ready to sign an agreement shortly to expand state-run TV entity.

“Everything is ready. We hope to sign an agreement within next two months so that we can go for construction of these networks," he said, adding that for the first time China has come up with such cooperation.

He was speaking at a media workshop the Chinese embassy hosted at the chancery in the presence of some editors and senior journalists.

The minister said China and Bangladesh are “linked culturally and ideologically” and the relations reached new heights after the Chinese president's Bangladesh visit in Oct 2O16.

He said Bangladesh and China have “widened and broadened” their relations. “There is no looking back.”

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Zuo said Bangladesh is a “good” neighbour and a “good friend” of China.

He said the bilateral relations are now “facing unprecedented opportunities for cooperation, which provides a favorable environment and external conditions for media cooperation between the two countries”.

The two countries elevated the relations to strategic level during President Xi Jinping’s visit in October 2016.

Zuo said the achievements made in the development of China-Bangladesh relations are “inseparable” from the efforts of the media community.

He proposed four ideas for China-Bangladesh media cooperation.

“First, to actively build a communication mechanism and deepen bilateral media cooperation, second, to focus on integration and innovation to bring media cooperation to a higher level, third, to build a bridge of friendship and expand exchanges and mutual learning between China Bangladesh media, and fourth, to further share development opportunities and enrich the forms of media cooperation.”

“The Chinese embassy will continue to encourage and support this kind of close and practical cooperation, and serve as an intermediary for further media cooperation.”

“Let’s work together towards a common goal. Let’s become the loudspeaker for China-Bangladesh relations, the seed drill for China-Bangladesh friendship, and the propeller for China-Bangladesh cooperation,” the ambassador said.

“Together we shall start a new chapter in our common development process.”