Chinese water minister likely to visit Dhaka next month

Focus on river issues

China’s water resources minister Chen Lei is likely to visit Bangladesh in April to hold discussions on various issues including river waters, it has been learnt. The minister is likely to arrive in Dhaka on April 11 for a two-day state visit. He will take part in bilateral meetings and visit major projects that Chinese companies are involved in in Bangladesh. He will lead a six-member Chinese delegation. According to sources in the water ministry, bilateral agreements between Bangladesh and China are on the anvil to exchange advance flood forecasting information, so that the lower riparian Bangladesh could make advance preparations on the basis of flood warnings.
“We will want information from the Chinese delegation regarding hydraulic power plants and other structures the Chinese authorities have constructed in the upstream of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries,” a top source of the water ministry yesterday told The Independent on condition of anonymity.
The two friendly countries renewed the advance flood forecasting agreement in 2015, the source added. According to sources in the ministry, the delegation team will visit Dhanmondi’s Bangabandhu Museum. Besides, the Chinese team will also visit the World Bank (WB)-funded Coastal Embankment Improvement Project (CEIP) in Khulna’s coastal areas and the Padma Bridge project in Mawa, where Chinese companies are involved in the projects, the source added.
A bilateral meeting will be held on April 12 at the water resources ministry, where Bangladesh’s water resources minister Anisul Islam Mahmud will lead his country’s team, while Chen Lei will lead the Chinese delegation, the source said. “China is an important ally of ours because of its participation in a number of water resource-related projects. Besides, we also share some of the common rivers like Brahmaputra and its tributaries, which originate in the top mountains of Tibet,” sources in the shipping ministry further said.  The Chinese team will also visit Sirajganj hard point.
The sources added that Chinese companies have been appointed to construct the Padma bridge, CEIP and structures at Sirajganj hard point.

Chinese water minister likely to visit Dhaka next month

Focus on river issues

Chinas water resources minister Chen Lei is likely to visit Bangladesh in April to hold discussions on various issues including river waters, it has been learnt. The minister is likely to arrive in Dhaka on April 11 for a two-day state visit. He will take part in bilateral meetings and visit major projects that Chinese companies are involved in in Bangladesh. He will lead a six-member Chinese delegation. According to sources in the water ministry, bilateral agreements between Bangladesh and China are on the anvil to exchange advance flood forecasting information, so that the lower riparian Bangladesh could make advance preparations on the basis of flood warnings. We will want information from the Chinese delegation regarding hydraulic power plants and other structures the Chinese authorities have constructed in the upstream of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, a top source of the water ministry yesterday told The Independent on condition of anonymity. The two friendly countries renewed the advance flood forecasting agreement in 2015, the source added. According to sources in the ministry, the delegation team will visit Dhanmondis Bangabandhu Museum. Besides, the Chinese team will also visit the World Bank (WB)-funded Coastal Embankment Improvement Project (CEIP) in Khulnas coastal areas and the Padma Bridge project in Mawa, where Chinese companies are involved in the projects, the source added. A bilateral meeting will be held on April 12 at the water resources ministry, where Bangladeshs water resources minister Anisul Islam Mahmud will lead his countrys team, while Chen Lei will lead the Chinese delegation, the source said. China is an important ally of ours because of its participation in a number of water resource-related projects. Besides, we also share some of the common rivers like Brahmaputra and its tributaries, which originate in the top mountains of Tibet, sources in the shipping ministry further said. The Chinese team will also visit Sirajganj hard point. The sources added that Chinese companies have been appointed to construct the Padma bridge, CEIP and structures at Sirajganj hard point.