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Published : 11 Jun 2026, 08:22 PM
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to visit China later this month as his second foreign trip since forming the government, Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal has said.
Speaking at the 7th China-South Asia Cooperation Forum in Yunnan province’s Kunming, on Thursday, the deputy speaker said the prime minister had chosen China for his second overseas visit, which would take Bangladesh-China ties to new heights and advance the two countries' comprehensive strategic cooperation.
Foreign ministry officials said the prime minister will first travel to Kuala Lumpur on Jun 21-22 as his first foreign trip as head of government.
The China visit is expected to follow shortly after, Kamal said.
He added that president Ziaur Rahman's visits to China in 1977 and 1980 laid a stronger foundation for bilateral ties, which were further cemented by the then prime minister Khaleda Zia's visits in 1991 and 2002.
On regional cooperation, the deputy speaker said effective collaboration among South Asian nations is essential to ensure peace, development, and prosperity in the region.
He also stressed the need to revitalise the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
"Challenges such as the energy crisis, climate change, debt pressure on developing countries, and instability in global trade cannot be tackled by any single country alone. Regional cooperation has therefore become indispensable," he said.
Yunnan Governor Wang Yubo, Nepal National Assembly Vice Chairman Lila Kumari Bhandari, Maldives Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam, Sri Lanka Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra, and SAARC Secretary General Golam Sarwar also spoke at the forum.
Earlier, the parliamentary delegation led by the deputy speaker attended the opening ceremony of the 10th China-South Asia Exposition.
The delegation included National Citizen Party (NCP) member secretary Akhter Hossen, BNP lawmaker Khaled Hossain Mahbub, and independent reserved-seat MP Jesmin Sultana Jui.
