Dhaka and Beijing signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on sustainable water management during the Chinese president’s visit to Bangladesh in 2016.
Both the countries have agreed to renew the MoU after some modifications, said foreign adviser Touhid Hossain.
The adviser on Sunday disclosed this in response to a question of a newsperson at a media conference at the foreign ministry this afternoon after his visit to China.
He said as both Dhaka and Beijing agreed to renew the bilateral MoU, both sides have been trying to find out what modifications could be made.
“We have shared our observations with Beijing, and they have shared theirs with us. Finalising the draft will take some time, but it will be completed. Some more issues will be added to the renewed deal. This is why it is taking time,” he said.
Touhid Hossain, however, confirmed that a MoU was signed on exchanging hydropower-related information on the Yaluzangbu-Jamuna River during his visit.
The adviser said during the talks he raised Dhaka’s “serious concerns” regarding a dam on the Brahmaputra, a trans-boundary river that originated in China and enters into Bangladesh through India. “We have also requested China to share the studies they are conducting on this matter with us. They ensured that the flow of water will not decrease because of them.”
Asked if they had any discussion about prospective Chinese assistance for the Teesta River Project, Touhid Hossain said, “There was no discussion on the Teesta”.
“If we want to have any discussion on this, that MoU (water management) will have to be signed first. This is why it will take some time,” he added.
When a newsperson asked him whether there was any discussion on the visit of Dr Yunus to China, he said, “Let me tell you the truth, there was no discussion on this. Because, we are not hurrying on this.”
The foreign adviser had an official visit to China on 20-24 January. This was Bangladesh’s first bilateral meeting with China after the interim government had assumed power.
The adviser also spoke about US President Donald Trump’s decision to cut aid.
He said this was “expected” and clarified that USAID’s temporary aid suspension is not specific to any particular country.
After assuming office, Donald Trump recently issued an executive order suspending US aid to all countries, except one or two, for 90 days to allow a review of the assistance programmes, a decision not targeting any specific nation.
Following the order, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) directed an immediate suspension of funding for all ongoing projects and programs in Bangladesh, as in other countries.
In response to a question on the impact of US assistance to Rohingya people, who have taken shelter in Bangladesh, due to this decision, Touhid Hossain said that they were entering a new reality. There should not be any doubts about that. Everyone knew beforehand the new US president’s policies are different from the existing one’s.
He said they will have to watch how the situation pans out and find out how to protect the interests of Bangladesh as per the emerging situation.
News agency BSS adds: Touhid Hossain Sunday announced that China has decided to designate two to three hospitals in Kunming, the nearest Chinese city from Dhaka, for Bangladeshis, who face problems in obtaining Indian visas for medical treatments.
“We were looking for an alternative destination for medical treatment as visa problems have been persisting with India. We believe this is a viable alternative given the issues with Indian visas,” he told reporters while sharing the outcomes of his recent China visit.
The adviser said the deputy governor of Yunnan with Kunming being its capital traveled to Beijing to meet him and conveyed the decision to dedicate the hospitals for Bangladeshi patients.
“I requested them (Chinese authority) to simplify the visa procedure and reduce the visa fees for Bangladeshi treatment seekers,” Hossain said.
The adviser revealed that the Chinese government has agreed to construct a large public hospital on government-owned land in Purbachal on the outskirts of Dhaka.
“We will provide the land (for the purpose) as soon as possible,” he said adding in addition to the public hospital a plan was chalked up to establish a tertiary-level hospital under public-private partnership (PPP) with China.
Hossain was on an official tour to Beijing from January 20 to 24 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi when he held a bilateral meeting with him and visited Shanghai to meet with the Chinese business community.
“We discussed all our bilateral matters, including development projects and trade and commerce,” said Hossain, adding that he requested Beijing to lower the interest rate on loans and extend the loan repayment period from 20 years to 30 years.
He said the Chinese foreign minister “assured me of extending the loan repayment period and promised to look into the request for a reduction in interest rates”.
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