China Interested in Helping Bangladesh Tackle Energy Crisis: Mir Shahe Alam

China has expressed interest in working with Bangladesh on solar power as an alternative energy source to tackle the country’s energy crisis. It has also assured Bangladesh of increasing investment in waste and water management, renewable energy and other sectors. At the same time, China has expressed interest in maintaining good political relations with the BNP alongside state-to-state ties.

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, Mir Shahe Alam shared the information after a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Yao Wen at the Secretariat on Thursday morning. Local Government Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan was also present.

Mir Shahe Alam said China wants to work on solar power as an alternative source of energy to address the crisis. He said China has also assured that its investment in Bangladesh’s waste management, water management, renewable energy and other sectors would continue to increase. He added that expanding the use of renewable energy is essential for Bangladesh’s development and meeting its energy needs. In this regard, China’s technology, experience and investment could play an important role for Bangladesh.

At the meeting, Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen said Bangladesh-China relations had reached a new height following Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to China. He said there was scope to further expand existing cooperation between the two countries. China wants to work with Bangladesh in renewable energy, particularly solar power, to help address its energy crisis.

The ambassador said China is also interested in investing in waste management, sustainable water supply and water management, among other sectors. He said the two countries could work together to expand ongoing cooperation in these areas.

Meanwhile, China expressed interest in maintaining political relations with the BNP alongside its state-level relations with Bangladesh. Mir Shahe Alam said Bangladesh and China have a longstanding friendly relationship and that discussions were held on further strengthening ties in both political and economic spheres.