US Ambassador calls for lifting of emergency; Chinese Foreign Minister makes a two-day visit to Dhaka
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    • The new US Ambassador to Bangladesh James F. Moriarty met the Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain on April 23 and discussed a broad range of bilateral issues1. He had earlier on April 21 called for the lifting of the emergency to ensure free and fair elections2.

    Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi was also in Dhaka on April 24-25. Yang asserted that Bangladesh was the true friend of China keeping in view their stand on One-China Policy and on the recent Tibet uprising and that military cooperation was an important part of the bi-lateral relations3. The Foreign Minister also met Army Chief Moeen Ahmed and the Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury. The two sides noted that nuclear cooperation between the two countries can follow the pattern of the China-Pakistan model4. Beijing would also be giving Dhaka Tk 600 crore in 'free aid' and Tk 50 lakh in 'token gift'.

    In other developments, India ratified an agreement to help in trade promotion with Bangladesh on April 245. The Bangladeshi government on its part announced that it would conduct a study of the Indian export subsidies before entering into talks for a Free Trade Area6.

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