PM Hasina leaves Beijing for Dhaka

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina left here for Dhaka tonight, wrapping up her three-day bilateral visit to China at the invitation of her Chinese counterpart Li Qiang.

A special flight of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the prime minister and her entourage members, departed the Beijing Capital International Airport for home at 10:05 pm (local time) today.

The flight is scheduled to land at the Shahjalal International Airport at 1am (Bangladesh time) tomorrow.

The premier was earlier scheduled to leave Beijing for Dhaka on Thursday morning.

But the prime minister left Beijing a few hour earlier to attend her ailing daughter Saima Wazed, foreign minister Hasan Mahmud said, in reply to a question about speculations over the Premier's early departure from Beijing, at a press briefing here.

He said Saima Wazed was supposed to visit Beijing, but she had not been able to do so as she is very ill.

The prime minister completed all her scheduled bilateral programmes that include holding bilateral talks with Chinese president Xi Jinping and prime minister Li Qiang and other engagements prior to leaving Beijing, he said.

The premier has just avoided her night stay in Beijing, he continued. 

During her stay in Beijing from 8 to 10 July, the Bangladesh prime minister held bilateral meetings with Chinese president Xi Jinping alongside a delegation level bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart Li Qiang.

Bangladesh and China signed 21 documents and made announcement of seven projects following a delegation level bilateral meeting between Bangladesh prime minister and her Chinese counterpart at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing this afternoon. 

The documents of cooperation were signed and exchanged between the two sides in presence of the two prime ministers.

The instruments were signed on cooperation in the economic and banking sector, trade and investment, digital economy, infrastructure development, assistance in disaster management, construction of 6th and 9th Bangladesh-China friendship bridges, export of agricultural products from Bangladesh and people to people connectivity.

After attending the bilateral meeting and the signing ceremony, the prime minister attended a welcome banquet (lunch) hosted in her honour by her Chinese counterpart at the Great Hall of the People. 

Earlier today (10 July) morning, the Bangladesh prime minister was accorded a red carpet reception as she reached the Great Hall of the People to have a bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart Li Qiang.

On her arrival on the premises of the Great Hall of the People, the prime minister was received by the Chinese premier.

Sheikh Hasina arrived in Beijing on Monday afternoon.

This visit of the Bangladesh premier to China took place within 15 days of her last visit to India from 21 to 22 June.

The visit is believed to elevate the relations between Bangladesh and China to "comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership" from "strategic partnership".

Chinese president Xi Jinping visited Bangladesh in October, 2016 when the relationship between the two countries had reached a strategic partnership.

Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina last visited Beijing in July, 2019. She also visited China on multiple prior occasions.

The two countries would celebrate the golden jubilee of the diplomatic relations next year.

During her second day of visit to the Chinese capital on 9 July, president of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Jin Liqun paid a courtesy call on her at the meeting room of her Place of Residence.

Afterwards, the prime minister joined a summit on Trade, Business and Investment Opportunities between Bangladesh and China at the China World Summit Wing, Shangri-La Circle, Beijing, China.

In the afternoon, a meeting was held between the prime minister and the president of Consultative Party Wang Huning at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing.

The prime minister later placed a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes at Tiananmen Square.

In the evening, she attended a dinner hosted in her honour by ambassador of Bangladesh to China at Bangladesh House in Beijing.