STORY: Bangladeshi officials call for increased Belt and Road cooperation
DATELINE: Sept. 9, 2023
LENGTH: 00:00:43
LOCATION: Dhaka
CATEGORY: POLITICS/ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of "The Belt and Road Initiative in Bangladesh Exhibition 2023" in Dhaka, Bangladesh

STORYLINE:

Bangladeshi government officials on Friday called for increased cooperation under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which they said has brought great changes to the South Asian country.

They made the remarks when speaking at the opening ceremony of "The Belt and Road Initiative in Bangladesh Exhibition 2023" held in the Bangladeshi capital, which marks the 10th anniversary of the Initiative.

The BRI has already brought transformative changes to Bangladesh as "it has strengthened our role as a vital connector in the regional trade network," Lokman Hossain Miah, executive chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), supervised by the Prime Minister's Office, said at the ceremony attended by nearly 400 representatives of Chinese and Bangladeshi enterprises.

A.H.M. Ahsan, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Bangladesh's Export Promotion Bureau, said the BRI put forward 10 years ago is "a visionary project aimed at revitalizing the connectivity among Asia, Europe and Africa."

Md Anwar Hossain, additional secretary and wing chief of the Bangladeshi government's Economic Relations Division under the Ministry of Finance, said that the BRI "presents an enormous potential to enhance our connectivity, unlock our economic potential and contribute to regional and global development."

Charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh Yan Hualong told the opening ceremony in a keynote speech that China will always be a trustworthy neighbor, close friend and cooperative partner of Bangladesh on its journey of modernization.

The exhibition, jointly organized by the Chinese embassy, Bangladesh China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Chinese Enterprises Association in Bangladesh, demonstrates the achievements of BRI cooperation in Bangladesh.

Its sideline events include workshops with Bangladeshi government departments, business forums and meetings, and job fairs.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Dhaka.
(XHTV)