The home ministry on Monday sought further cooperation from China in coastal, border and cyber security and shared a list of security priorities, seeking Chinese training in the coming days.
‘We have excellent relations with the Chinese government. You have witnessed that thing. The China government is willing to support us in the area of security,’ Bangladesh home minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters at the Secretariat after Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen had handed him the ‘Great Wall Commemorative Medal’.
The Chinese government has awarded Asaduzzaman Khan with the medal for his contribution in advancing the Bangladesh-China security cooperation.
After receiving the award, the home minister said, ‘The China government is interested to train our security personnel as per our requirement. Our inspector general of police has already handed our list for the training purpose. I think they [China] will accept it…’
‘It’s all types of security. It’s not only cyber security. It may be coastal security. It may be border security. Whatever security we
want, the China government will provide us,’ he replied when he was asked about the areas of security cooperation.
The minister said that Bangladesh is worried about cyber, transnational and international crimes and sought cooperation from China during the meeting with Chinese ambassador on the day.
The Chinese government has been giving training to Bangladesh security agencies, he said, adding, ‘we have requested to widen the scopes…they are considering further training opportunities.’
Addressing the programme, Chinese ambassador Yao Wen said that next five years Bangladesh, led by prime minister Sheikh Hasina, would be stronger, united, more prosperous and resilient.
‘China is one of the most trustworthy friends and most reliable development partners of Bangladesh, said the ambassador.’
China always supports Bangladesh in terms of national security and sovereignty, he said .
The Chinese envoy looked forward to further closer bilateral cooperation with the home ministry in next five years in all fronts.
‘We are so grateful with the supportive contribution of the [Bangladesh] home ministry,’ he said.
The home ministry in a statement said that the Chinese public security minister Wang Xiaohong conveyed New Year wishes to the minister and congratulated him on his re-appointment.
Bangladesh shares a 4,200-kilometre land border with India and a 273km border with junta-ruled Myanmar, while a 720km coastline along the Bay of Bengal in the south.
The Border Guard Bangladesh and Bangladesh Coast Guard are the main forces under the home ministry to guard the country’s borders.
A senior home ministry official told New Age that Bangladesh Army and other agencies also have close cooperation with the Chinese government.
In 2016, Bangladesh and China signed a memorandum of understanding on security cooperation and training. The then Chinese home minister visited Dhaka in 2018, while Bangladesh home minister Asaduzzaman Khan made his reciprocal visit to China in 2019. A planned follow up visit was suspended due to the pandemic in 2020 onward.
‘Great Wall Commemorative Medal’ was introduced in 2020, while home minister Asaduzzaman Khan was nominated for the award in 2023. He could not travel to China to receive the award due to the January 7 elections.
The home minister said on Monday that while many a country had made different statements before the January 7 elections, China said it was internal affairs of Bangladesh.
New Age