The Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka Yao Wen met the Ameer of the Islamist Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party, Dr Shafiqur Rahman, at the Jamaat’s central office in Moghbazar, Dhaka, on Monday, said the Dhaka Tribune.
The Jamaat had sided with the West Pakistani soldiers who killed millions of Bengalis in a purge before surrendering to India the 1971 war.
During Sheikh Hasina’s rule, most of the Jaamat leaders were either been sentenced to death or given long jail terms for war crimes in 1971.
One of the first things that the interim administration led by chief adviser and Nobel peace Laureate Mohammad Yunus that assumed charge after Sheikh Hasina fled to India August 5 following a violent student uprising in which at least 500 people were killed, was to free the Jamaat and other other Islamist leaders jailed by Hasina.
Sounds like Yao Wen is introduced as ambassador of “royal China”?
Jamaat literally rolling out the royal and red carpet for Beijing in hope of maximising its future bargaining power with New Delhi. Interesting times in Dhaka…
Yet nothing surprising in the boilerplate statement… https://t.co/hc6FHGKKvI
— Constantino Xavier (@ConstantinoX) September 2, 2024
“Since the start of trials for war crimes in March 2010, no diplomat has visited Jamaat’s office until now,” said the report. “The police sealed the office in September of the following year, and it reopened after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August due to a student-led uprising.”
Describing it as a “courtesy meeting” the article said the Chinese Envoy had praised the Jamaat-e-Islami, known for its links with Pakistan, as “well-organized.”
After the meeting Dr Rahman, accompanied by the ambassador, told reporters that the discussions included matters of mutual interest, including education, culture, and development.
“The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on China-Bangladesh relations, inter-party exchanges and cooperation and other issues of common concern,” the paper quoted them as saying.
Noting that Bangladesh is at a historical crossroads, Ambassador Yao said “China is committed to deepening exchanges and cooperation with the Interim Government, all political parties and all walks of life in Bangladesh to consolidate the traditional friendship between the two countries and promote the continuous development of the China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, to bring more benefit to the two countries and the two peoples.”
Dr Rahman in turn appreciated China’s contributions to the economic and social development of Bangladesh, and reiterated Jamaat’s firm support for the One-China Principle. Pledging to further improve the relationship between the two nations, he urged China to be “more active in investment and the rehabilitation of Rohingyas.”
