Bangladesh, China ink 17 MOUs spanning ministries, investment, party ties

Of them, three involve BIDA, one links the BNP with Communist Party of China

Bangladesh has signed 17 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with China during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit, according to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

On Friday, PMO spokesperson Mahdi Amin told a media briefing at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse that the agreements had been signed following Thursday's bilateral talks between the Bangladeshi and Chinese leadership.

Breaking down the agreements, he said 13 ministerial-level pacts were signed directly between the respective government ministries of the two countries in the presence of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) concluded another three agreements with Chinese business organisations and stakeholders to channel foreign investment into the country.

The final instrument details a political agreement between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which currently leads the government, and the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).

Tarique arrived in China on Monday at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

He first travelled to Dalian in northeastern China to attend the World Economic Forum before travelling to Beijing by high-speed train on Wednesday night to begin the three-day state visit.