Good friend: Yunus warms up to Beijing to counter Delhi’s influence

Bangladesh interim government’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said it is “important” for his country to see China as a good friend and he expects ties between Dhaka and Beijing to enter a new phase as he wrapped up his China visit on Saturday.

Yunus was conferred an honorary doctorate degree by Peking University (PKU) here on Friday.

The Chief Adviser met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday and sought stepped up investments from China to revive Bangladesh’s flagging economy, hit by political and economic crisis.

“It’s very important that we see China as our good friend,” Yunus said, projecting Beijing as a balancing factor against New Delhi.

He expects bilateral relations to enter a new stage, Yunus told Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency in an interview.

After his China visit, Yunus is scheduled to visit Thailand to take part in the BIMSTEC summit. He has sought a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi but India is yet to confirm it.

In his talks with Xi, Yunus urged China to play a greater role in establishing peace, prosperity and stability for both nations. A joint statement issued after the Xi-Yunus talks said Bangladesh welcomed Chinese companies to participate in the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP).

Considering New Delhi’s sensitivities, the previous Sheikh Hasina government wanted India to do the Teesta river basin project.

Since the Yunus government took over, China has been hosting a number of Bangladesh delegations including Bangladesh’s Adviser for Foreign Affairs Touhid Hossain and hardline Islamic parties such as the Jamaat-e-Islami and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Hasina booked for plot to oust interim govt

Bangladesh police have filed a case against deposed PM Sheikh Hasina and 72 others on charges of hatching a conspiracy to overthrow the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus by waging a civil war, officials and media reports said on Saturday. The court took into cognizance the case and asked the CID to launch an investigation. The CID received information about an online meeting on December 19, where participants formed a platform called the “Joy Bangla Brigade” and discussed plans to re-install Hasina.