Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held a rare one-on-one meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday.
The private meeting took place following their official bilateral talks in the morning, said Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir.
While briefing reporters, he described the meeting as "unprecedented", saying it reflected the importance China attaches to both Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Bangladesh. "This is an unprecedented event. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held a one-on-one meeting with His Excellency Chinese President Xi Jinping.”
According to the adviser, the two leaders first held formal bilateral talks with their respective delegations, during which they discussed a wide range of issues relating to Bangladesh-China relations.
Following the official meeting, President Xi and Prime Minister Tarique held a separate private meeting, a move Humaiun Kobir described as highly significant.
"This is truly unprecedented. After the formal meeting attended by members of the delegation, the two leaders met separately in a one-on-one session," he said.
"The private meeting demonstrates the importance the Chinese President and the Chinese government attach to our Prime Minister and to Bangladesh," the adviser added.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman met President Xi at the Great Hall of the People at 10:45am local time on the final day of his four-day official visit to China.
The official bilateral meeting lasted about 50 minutes, after which the two leaders held the private one-on-one talks.