Bangladesh Proposes Tk 10,000 Crore Chinese Investment in Modern Housing for Slum Dwellers
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said that Bangladesh-China relations have reached a new height following Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to China. Alongside strengthening economic ties, China is interested in further expanding people-to-people connectivity between the two countries.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr. Abdul Moin Khan, meanwhile, expressed hope that Chinese cooperation in Bangladesh would expand further in areas including infrastructure, port management, waste management and renewable energy. The issues were discussed during a meeting between the Chinese ambassador and the minister at the latter’s office in the Secretariat on Thursday. State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam was also present. The meeting discussed waste management, sewage treatment and housing in Dhaka, the inclusion of Mandarin in Bangladesh’s education curriculum, expansion of the pipeline network required to make the Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) fully operational, and increasing the use of renewable energy.
State Minister Mir Shahe Alam said Bangladesh has proposed an investment of around Tk 10,000 crore to China for developing modern housing facilities in the Korail, Gulshan and Mohakhali slum areas of the capital. China has initially shown a positive response to implementing the proposal in phases. At the beginning of the meeting, Ambassador Yao Wen congratulated the local government minister on assuming his new responsibilities and expressed hope that bilateral relations between the two countries would be further strengthened and areas of cooperation expanded.
Mr. Yao Wen said now is the right time for Bangladesh to develop renewable energy and solar power. He said Bangladesh is currently facing a significant energy crisis, while China is working on energy and solar power solutions. He added that the issue was also discussed during his meeting with the minister. “I believe now is the right time for Bangladesh to develop renewable energy or solar power. This can help reduce dependence on fossil fuels,” Yao Wen said. He said there are many opportunities for cooperation with Bangladesh to overcome the shortage of energy supplies and that China’s capabilities could also be utilized in the renewable energy sector.
According to Yao Wen, a “historic opportunity” has emerged in bilateral cooperation between China and Bangladesh. In particular, relations between the two countries have entered a new phase following the prime minister’s recent visit to China. He said the two countries had agreed through a joint communiqué to build a China-Bangladesh community with a shared future for a new era. Cooperation in various sectors, including the economy, is being advanced under this framework.
The ambassador said that within the past two months of the prime minister’s visit, construction of the China-Bangladesh Special Economic Zone in Chattogram had been inaugurated. Work on the Mongla Port project is also progressing. China is also working with Bangladesh on the feasibility study for the Teesta River project. In addition, projects to construct a residential hall for female students at the University of Dhaka and a 1,000-bed hospital are also progressing.
Yao Wen said China is focusing not only on economic cooperation but also on expanding educational exchanges and people-to-people connectivity. Mir Shahe Alam said Chinese cooperation in modernizing waste management and generating electricity from waste has created significant opportunities for Bangladesh. He said an initiative is being taken to sign an agreement on the issue during his visit to China next September.
Local Government Division Secretary Md Shahidul Hasan, Dhaka WASA Managing Director Md Moniruzzaman and senior officials of the ministry were also present at the meeting.
