The Jatiya Sangsad on Saturday unanimously adopted a motion thanking prime minister Tarique Rahman for what lawmakers described as the ‘unprecedented success’ of his recent visits to Malaysia and China.

The prime minister visited the two countries from June 21 to 26 and returned home from China on Friday night.

The motion was moved at the start of the day’s sitting by local government minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Following a brief discussion, speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad put the motion to a voice vote, and it was adopted unanimously.

The prime minister was not present in the House at the time.

Moving the motion, Mirza Fakhrul said the tour had been highly significant for Bangladesh, strengthening the country’s relations with both Malaysia and China.

He said the prime minister had successfully concluded a number of agreements during the visit, further consolidating bilateral ties on the basis of mutual respect.

Mirza Fakhrul also said that, unlike former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was accorded receptions before departing on and returning from foreign visits, the current prime minister had discontinued the practice and instructed that no receptions be organised.

Highlighting the outcomes of the visit, the minister said Bangladesh had signed 17 memoranda of understanding with China.

Fakhrul said that the president of China had held an extensive and cordial meeting with the Bangladesh prime minister, while relations with both Malaysia and China had been further strengthened.

He said that the two countries had reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Bangladesh’s economic development and indicated they would expand such cooperation.

They had also expressed willingness to help address Bangladesh’s challenges, including by taking initiatives towards resolving the Rohingya crisis.

For these reasons, Mirza Fakhrul proposed that parliament formally thank the prime minister and leader of the House for what he described as the unprecedented success of the Malaysia and China visits.

Taking part in the discussion, finance minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said the prime minister had introduced a cultural change in Bangladesh’s politics by ending the practice of organising large public receptions at airports before and after foreign tours.

He said the visits reflected Bangladesh’s foreign policy principles of maintaining relations with all countries on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interests, non-interference and national sovereignty.

According to the finance minister, the prime minister had established a benchmark for Bangladesh’s future international relations, consistent with the foreign policy principles long advocated by the BNP and founded by former president Ziaur Rahman.

The finance minister said discussions in Malaysia had focused on Bangladesh’s labour market, energy cooperation and other commercial interests.

Talks with China centred on infrastructure development, strengthening ties with one of Bangladesh’s largest trading partners, reducing the bilateral trade deficit and expanding Bangladeshi exports, he said.

Leader of the opposition Shafiqur Rahman supported the motion, saying Bangladesh belonged to all its people and that the country should pursue a genuinely independent foreign policy.

He assured the government of the opposition’s cooperation in safeguarding national interests.

He described both Malaysia and China as long-standing and trusted friends of Bangladesh.

The opposition leader said Bangladesh remained heavily dependent on imports and that its principal exports were readymade garments and manpower.

He argued that there was considerable scope to diversify exports through short-, medium- and long-term planning, expressing hope that these issues had featured in the prime minister’s discussions during the tour.

He also called for greater transparency and accountability by placing all major international agreements before parliament, saying such a practice would strengthen the link between the government and the people.

Stressing the importance of mutual respect and equality in Bangladesh’s foreign relations, he said no external interference in the country’s independent foreign policy should be accepted.

The opposition leader expressed his hope that parliament would remain the centre of all major government decisions.

He said both the government and the opposition should be judged by the people, adding that he did not support a political culture in which only the government claimed credit while the opposition merely opposed.

Concluding the discussion, speaker said that Jatiya Sangsad had heard considered views from both the government and the opposition.

He said it was evident that the prime minister’s recent visits to Malaysia and China had opened a new chapter in Bangladesh’s foreign policy, strengthening the country’s independence, sovereignty and security.