China to renovate Bangladesh's largest multi-purpose convention centre

BICC is home to the country's National Parliament and important local and foreign offices

China will renovate Bangladesh's largest multi-purpose convention centre which Beijing built as a token of friendship about 15 years ago.

Shahidullah Khandaker, Secretary in Bangladesh's Ministry of Housing and Public Works, and Li Guangjun, Economic and Commercial counsellor of the Chinese Embassy at Dhaka, signed the Minutes of Implementation on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC), also known as Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre and situated at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla, a busy commercial and central neighbourhood, is still considered the only international conference centre of Bangladesh.

BICC is also home to the country's National Parliament and important local and foreign offices.

A senior official of Bangladesh's Ministry of Housing and Public Works told Xinhua that the centre has never been renovated since its establishment.

Bangladesh is slated to host the Global Forum on Migration Development (GFMD) later this year at the centre. Nearly 1,000 guests from all around the world are expected to participate in the forum.

"We must renovate our only international conference centre at our earliest to better arrange the global forum," said the official.

"We're very glad that China has accepted our request to renovate the centre," he added.