BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s ongoing visit to China will further strengthen Bangladesh’s economic and strategic relations with the Asian power.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he said the visit will make a significant contribution to Bangladesh’s economic development and deepen the long-standing friendship between the two countries.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s participation in the World Economic Forum conference in Dalian of China, Rizvi said Tarique Rahman’s speeches were well received by global leaders.
He said world leaders particularly appreciated the Prime Minister’s remarks on climate change and Bangladesh’s efforts to address its impacts.
The BNP leader noted that Bangladesh’s policy support for renewable energy, especially tax incentives for solar power, has been recognised as a major contribution to combating climate change.
He said the government has set a target to generate around 20 percent of the country’s electricity from solar energy by 2030 and is moving towards achieving that goal.
Rizvi, also and political adviser to the Prime Minister, said the visit reflects a shift from what he termed the “one-dimensional foreign policy” of the previous “fascist era” to a multidimensional foreign policy.
According to him, Bangladesh is now witnessing a major shift away from the foreign policy pursued during the previous administration.
The BNP senior joint secretary general said the government is implementing an independent foreign policy while safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and national interests.
He said China has substantial investments in Bangladesh’s industrial, infrastructure and service sectors, while bilateral trade between the two countries amounts to nearly US$18 billion.
On domestic economic issues, Rizvi opposed bringing small grocery shops under the Value Added Tax (VAT) net.
“Small grocery stores have very limited income. Therefore, they should not be brought under the VAT coverage. However, those who have the capacity to pay taxes but remain outside the tax net should be included,” he said, adding that the government will continue to prioritise public welfare and expectations.
Commenting on developments in India, the BNP leader alleged that a road in Kolkata named after the last Prime Minister of undivided Bengal and national leader Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy has recently been renamed.
He noted that Suhrawardy was one of the founding leaders of the Awami League and a direct political mentor of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “Despite this, Awami League leaders and their intellectual supporters have remained silent on the issue,” he said, describing the renaming of the road dedicated to a prominent leader of the subcontinent as an act lacking propriety.
Rizvi added that institutions in Bangladesh still bear the names of various Indian leaders and said Bangladesh has demonstrated courtesy in that regard.