Prime Minister Tarique Rahman returned home from Beijing on Friday evennig, concluding his first overseas tour since taking office, which included official visits to Malaysia and China.
A China Southern Airlines flight carrying the prime minister, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and the accompanying delegation landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 7:45pm, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
He was received at the airport by BNP Secretary General and LGRD Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, along with members of the cabinet and senior leaders of the party.
The prime minister began the six-day tour with a two-day official visit to Malaysia on June 21-22 at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
During the visit, Tarique Rahman held bilateral talks with Anwar Ibrahim, met King Sultan Ibrahim, interacted with members of the Bangladeshi community and met executives of five leading Malaysian companies to encourage investment in Bangladesh.
He travelled directly from Kuala Lumpur to China on June 22 for a four-day official visit.
The China leg of the tour featured a series of high-level meetings, investment engagements and the signing of 17 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).
On Friday, the Prime Minister held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People. The two leaders discussed trade, investment, infrastructure, connectivity and other issues of mutual interest.
Following the meeting, Tarique Rahman visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Earlier in the day, he paid tribute to Chinese revolutionary heroes by laying a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tiananmen Square.
He also met Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
On Thursday, the Prime Minister held bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The two sides discussed expanding cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, water resources and other sectors.
Following the talks, Bangladesh and China signed 13 MoUs covering a wide range of areas of cooperation. Three additional MoUs were signed between the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and Chinese business organisations, while another was signed between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Communist Party of China, bringing the total number of agreements signed during the visit to 17.
During his stay in China, Tarique Rahman also met Chinese Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying and Liu Haixing, minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.
He addressed the "Invest Bangladesh" conference, inviting Chinese companies to expand investment in Bangladesh. Senior executives from several leading Chinese companies also met him to discuss investment opportunities and development cooperation.
Before arriving in Beijing, the Prime Minister attended the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, widely known as Summer Davos, in Dalian.
At the forum, he addressed a session on climate leadership, participated in the plenary session and held a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders, including World Economic Forum President and CEO Alois Zwinggi.
Prime Minister’s Office Spokesperson Mahdi Amin described the China visit as highly successful, saying the meetings with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and other senior Chinese leaders, along with the signing of 17 MoUs and extensive engagement with Chinese businesses, would further strengthen Bangladesh-China cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, connectivity and development.