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Published : 25 Jun 2026, 03:38 PM
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has rolled out a formal red-carpet welcome for Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The two sides will use the occasion to deepen ties across trade, investment, infrastructure and other shared interests.
The official reception took place on Thursday afternoon, when the prime minister arrived at the state venue in a motorcade from the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse at 4:40pm local time.
Li greeted him upon arrival, after which the two leaders exchanged greetings and introduced their respective delegations before moving to the reception dais.
A smartly turned-out Chinese armed forces contingent gave a guard of honour salute to both leaders.
The national anthems of both countries were played, followed by a gun salute in Tarique's honour.
The two prime ministers then inspected a military parade.
The Great Hall of the People, located at the western edge of Tiananmen Square, along with its adjacent plaza and surrounding roads, was adorned with the national flags of Bangladesh and China for the occasion.
The prominent structure serves as the seat of the National People's Congress (NPC), the highest legislative body of China, and houses its permanent offices.
Foreign Affairs Advisor Humayun Kabir said the scheduled state itinerary includes a top-level meeting led by both prime ministers at the Great Hall, focusing on Bangladesh-China relations, bilateral trade, investment, infrastructure development, and issues of mutual interest.
This is Tarique's first visit to China as prime minister, though he accompanied the then prime minister Khaleda Zia on a visit in 2001 and was present at a red carpet reception at the same Great Hall at the time.
He took office on Feb 17 after the BNP won an outright majority in the 13th general election.
He travelled to Malaysia on Jun 21 for his first state visit, then headed to Dalian for the World Economic Forum before arriving in Beijing by bullet train on Wednesday afternoon.
