A bilateral meeting was held between the Local Government Division and a delegation led by Dai Hegen, Chairman of China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), at the conference room of the Local Government Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday.

The meeting was chaired by State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam.

Secretary of the Local Government Division Md. Shahidul Hasan, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md. Abdus Salam, Dhaka WASA Managing Director Dr. Muhammad Moniruzzaman and senior officials of the division attended the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, the State Minister highlighted the extensive structure of Bangladesh’s local government system and said that key development agencies, including the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), WASA, city corporations and the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), are working extensively across the country on infrastructure development, water supply, drainage and waste management.

He said the country’s local government network comprises more than 500 upazila parishads, 13 city corporations, 330 municipalities, around 4,900 union parishads and 61 district councils.

The State Minister said Chinese companies have significant opportunities to invest in major development projects through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements, direct financing from the Chinese government and funding from international development partners, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

He expressed gratitude for China’s continued contributions to waste-to-energy projects, water supply, roads and bridge construction.

Calling on CRCC to play a greater role in Bangladesh’s development, Mir Shahe Alam said the company’s modern technologies and extensive experience could contribute to the government’s vision of transforming villages into towns and rebuilding the country’s infrastructure.

He invited CRCC to invest in safe drinking water supply, modern drainage systems, rural and urban road connectivity, and the construction of bridges and culverts under PPP arrangements or through direct investment.

He assured the Chinese company of full cooperation from the Local Government Division and the Bangladesh government in implementing development initiatives.

Speaking on behalf of the Chinese delegation, CRCC Chairman Dai Hegen said the company operates in more than 150 countries worldwide and has assets worth US$300 billion. He added that CRCC has maintained a leading position in the global construction sector for many years.

He said CRCC currently has 24 ongoing projects in Bangladesh, with a combined value of US$1.36 billion. The company has successfully completed several major projects, including the Cox’s Bazar rail link, Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway, the 8th Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge and riverbank reclamation and infrastructure development projects.

Dai Hegen further said CRCC is keen to work in Bangladesh using its innovative technologies in renewable energy, waste-to-energy, solar power and the supply of arsenic-free safe drinking water in rural areas.

He said the company wants to continue working as a long-term and reliable partner in ensuring balanced development in both rural and urban areas of Bangladesh.