MoU with China for underwater tunnel

Bangladesh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China for building an underwater tunnel on Karnaphuli River in Chittagong. Secretary of Bridges Division Khondoker Anwarul Islam and China’s Vice Minister of Transport and Communications Chi-Kuo Mao signed the $ 1 billion project. On Monday, Dhaka and Beijing signed an agreement to commission a coal-based power plant in Bangladesh and agreed to construct a special economic zone for China. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is now in Beijing after a stopover at Kunming to attend the 2nd China-South Asia Expo. On Sunday, she reached Beijing and had extensive discussions with Chinese premier Li Keqiang on Monday. This is her 3rd visit to China and the first one since she was elected prime minister for the second consecutive term in January. Apart from the deals for a coal-fired power plant and a special economic zone, an MOU and two exchanges of notes were signed between the two countries on Monday. Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque told reporters during a media briefing after the meeting between the two head of the governments: “Li Keqiang has praised the socio-economic development of Bangladesh and said that China will remain involved in Bangladesh's development,’ according to bdnews24.com.