BNP acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Wednesday said Bangladesh and China had tremendous opportunities to further strengthen their bilateral relations and build a community with a shared future in the new era.
“As Bangladesh and China move forward, we see tremendous opportunities to further strengthen our relationship. We look forward to elevating our bilateral relationship and building a China-Bangladesh community with a shared future in the new era,” he said.
Rizvi made the remarks at a seminar titled “Where History Illuminates the Future: China-Bangladesh Political Parties Plus Roundtable and Inauguration Ceremony of Bangladesh-China Research Centre for Party and State Governance Studies” at a city hotel.
The Chinese Embassy in Dhaka organised the programme, attended by a delegation led by Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Liu Haixing.
Welcoming the Chinese delegation on behalf of the BNP, Rizvi said the visit reflected the long-standing friendship, mutual trust and enduring partnership between the two countries and their political parties.
He said Bangladesh and China had built a relationship based on friendship, mutual respect, equality and a shared commitment to peace and development.
The BNP leader said the present government remained committed to an independent, balanced and forward-looking foreign policy guided by national interests and the principle of “Bangladesh First”, while maintaining friendly and mutually beneficial relations with all countries.
He referred to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's official visit to China from June 22 to 26, 2026, and appreciated the hospitality extended by the Chinese leadership.
During the visit, the Prime Minister held meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Rizvi said.
He said the discussions provided an opportunity to reaffirm the two countries' commitment to cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, connectivity, technology and development.
The BNP leader expressed confidence that the outcomes of the visit would give fresh momentum to bilateral ties and create new opportunities for cooperation.
He appreciated China's continued commitment to good neighbourliness and friendship with Bangladesh, saying a strong and constructive relationship between the two countries could contribute to their people's prosperity as well as peace, stability and economic cooperation in the wider region.
Describing China as one of Bangladesh's important partners in investment, development and infrastructure, Rizvi said it was Bangladesh's largest trading partner and second-largest development partner.
He said Chinese cooperation had contributed to the development of roads, bridges, power generation, transportation, communication and other critical infrastructure in Bangladesh.
The BNP leader also said bilateral trade reached US$12.8 billion in the first half of 2026.
He said China's achievements in economic transformation, poverty reduction, industrialisation and infrastructure development offered valuable lessons for Bangladesh as it pursued its own development goals.
Rizvi said the present government was committed to building a prosperous, modern and inclusive Bangladesh and looked forward to strengthening cooperation with China in infrastructure development, industrial modernisation, renewable energy, digital transformation, agriculture, water management and human resource development.
He stressed that future cooperation should be guided by mutual benefit, transparency, sustainability and the creation of tangible opportunities for the people of Bangladesh.
The BNP leader also reiterated Bangladesh's commitment to the One-China principle, saying there was only one China in the world.
On relations between the two political parties, he said the BNP and the CPC had maintained a long-standing channel of communication and exchanges through dialogue, mutual understanding and cooperation.
Rizvi said Bangladesh offered significant opportunities for Chinese investment in manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, information technology, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, textiles and other emerging sectors.
He called on China to take advantage of the investment opportunities and said Bangladesh also looked forward to expanding access for its products to the Chinese market.
The BNP acting secretary general also welcomed China's support for Bangladesh's industrialisation and economic modernisation, saying special economic zones, industrial parks and technology-based enterprises could contribute to employment generation and economic growth.
In this connection, he welcomed the proposed Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone, which is expected to bring around 30 Chinese companies with approximately $500 million in investment and potentially create an estimated 100,000 jobs for Bangladeshis.
In his concluding remarks, Rizvi expressed confidence that Liu's visit would further strengthen the historic friendship between the BNP and the CPC and contribute to a new chapter in Bangladesh-China relations.