The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao yesterday congratulated the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina on her assumption of office.

He also expressed his hope that a comprehensive partnership between Dhaka and Beijing would be raised to a new level.

Through a felicitation message, Jiabao said Bangladesh and China are intimate and friendly close neighbours.

He asserted that two countries always maintain mutual understanding, trust and support to each other and developed fruitful cooperation in every field. This cooperation had brought substantial benefits to the people of both the countries and made positive contributions to establish regional peace.

He expressed hope to strengthen bilateral relationship as well as friendship and mutual cooperation between the two countries through joint efforts.

In a separate message of felicitation to Foreign Minister Dr Dipumoni, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said it is the unswerving policy of the Chinese government to consistently strengthen and solidify friendly cooperation between China and Bangladesh.

UNB, Dhaka

A four-member delegation of Bangladesh Caterers Association (UK) met with British High Commissioner in Dhaka Stephen Evans at his office Sunday as part of negotiation to resolve staff crisis prevailing in the British curry industry because of stricter immigration rules.

The delegation drew the High Commissioner's attention to the prevailing staff crisis that the British curry industry is undergoing and requested him to help taking measures to facilitate the visa granting process for the skilled Bangladeshi chefs and restaurant staff.

Bajloor Rashid, President of BCA-UK and also a director of British Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce (BBCC), led the delegation which also inquired about the catering institute to be built with DFID fund in Sylhet, said a press release of the association.

It said High Commissioner Evans assured the delegation that he would arrange a meeting between BCA and DFID and talk at the ministerial level concerned on the matter.

BCA, established in 1960, is the umbrella organization of approximately 12,000 British-Bangladeshi restaurateurs in UK.

It represents the catering industry run by the Bangladeshis, which employs more than 90,000 people, mostly of Bangladeshi origin, with an estimated yearly turnover of £3.5 billion.