A 19-member delegation from Bangladesh’s ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has departed for China at the invitation of the Chinese government. The team left Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport late on Wednesday, April 15, aboard a China Northern Airlines flight. The delegation is led by Ismail Zabiyullah, a member of the BNP chairperson’s advisory council, according to BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan.

Originally, BNP Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was scheduled to lead the visit, but he could not join as he is currently in Singapore for medical treatment. Shayrul said Mirza Fakhrul is expected to join the delegation on April 19. The group includes senior BNP leaders, cultural figures, and party organizers from various sectors.

Before departure, the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka hosted a dinner on April 13 in honor of the delegation, where a documentary was shown outlining the sites they will visit in China. The delegation is expected to return to Dhaka on April 24.