Diplomatic Correspondent: A delegation of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) today held a meeting with Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Dr. Shafiqur Rahman.
The meeting was held at the party’s central office here this morning. CPIFA Vice President Ambassador Zhou Pingjian led the six-member high powered Chinese delegation.
Other members of the Chinese delegation include-Asia, Africa, and Latin America Division director Zhao Yongguo, Executive Deputy Director of the South Asian Studies Centre at Peking University Dr. Wang Shu, CPIFA official Ms. Zhang Li, Political Director of the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka Zhang Jing and Attache Liu Hongru.
From Jamaat’s side, the meeting was attended by central executive council ATM Azharul Islam, Secretary General and former MP Professor Mia Golam Parwar, Assistant Secretary General and head of the media wing Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, Media Secretary Advocate Matiur Rahman Akand, central member Mobarak Hossain, and the Ameer’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Professor Dr. Mahmudul Hasan.
Following the meeting, Jamaat Secretary General Prof. Mia Golam Parwar spoke to media at a briefing.
He said, “The meeting marked Dr. Shafiqur Rahman’s first in-person engagement with a foreign delegation at the central office since his recovery from illness and the discussions covered a range of issues including Bangladesh-China bilateral relations, regional politics, economic development, elections, and human rights.”
“Bangladesh and China are development partners and Jamaat is committed to working together for mutual benefit. Our goal is to serve the people, not to rule over them,” Prof. Parwar said referring to the Jamaat Ameer.
In the meeting, Jamaat noted the repression faced by his party under the previous government, mentioning the killing of party leaders, cancellation of party registration, and closure of their offices.
He said, Jamaat-e-Islami is a democratic and election-oriented political party and is prepared to participate in future polls, as it has done in the past. “We do believe in equal dignity of all irrespective of gender, race or political belief,” he added.
Jamaat also expressed concern about global human rights violations, including the situations in Palestine, Gaza, Syria, Myanmar, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, urging China’s constructive role in safeguarding human rights worldwide.
The Chinese delegation recalled Jamaat’s recent visit to China and noted that the delegation had been briefed on the country`s development, modernization projects and expressed interest in strengthening party-to-party ties.