So close two neighbours

The first Chinese traveler to Bangladesh, whose name appears first in the written history, was Faxian or Fa-hien (334-420). He visited Bangladesh at the beginning of the fifth century. The next and the most renowned Chinese traveler who extensively traversed through Bangladesh was Yuan Chwang (Huanzang) (596-664). He came to this country in the year of 638, spent as long as seven years, and left in the year of 645. After him, another great Chinese traveler, whose name was Seng-Chi, visited the eastern part of Bangladesh at the end part of the seventh century.

The travelogues written by all these Chinese travelers are considered as one of the most important sources of information of our past to write down the ancient history of Bangladesh.

During the ancient times, many Chinese travelers came to Bangladesh, but it was not one-way traffic. History says that Shanta Raskhit, a learned man from Bangladesh, went to Tibet in the middle of the seventh century. The next name that comes up is Atisha Dipankar. He was born in Bikrampur -- a place not far from Dhaka. In his late age, he went to Tibet in the year 1071. He lived for thirteen years in Tibet and died over there. Atisha was a religious teacher like his predecessor, Shanta Raskhit, but he also helped Tibetans with technical know-how to build water reservoirs.

It is said that Atisha was the first man from Bangladesh as well as from the South Asian subcontinent who sipped the herbal drink, tea. On his arrival to Tibet, when he was offered the blackish drink -- it was the black tea, not the green one -- he was not sure whether to drink it or not. But having had a sip, he found the drink invigorating, and became fond of it for the rest of his life.

During the middle ages, a very good relationship evolved between the royal courts of the two countries, Bangladesh and China.

When Giasuddin Azam Shah (1393-1409) was the ruler of Bangladesh with his capital at Sonargaon -- now a ruined city locate at a distance of only 18 km from Dhaka, a delegation was sent to his court by the then Chinese Emperor, Younglo, with a lot of precious gifts. Two of the emissaries in the Chinese delegation were Chengho and Chinghung. A Chinese interpreter, Ma-Huan, was with the royal delegation. He was a Muslim Chinese. He wrote a travelogue on his visit to Bangladesh.

Seeing the high fertility of the soil of Bangladesh, a unanimous Chinese traveler, who accompanied Ma-Huan, wrote: "The seven heavens have spread gold on the soil of this country."

To return the visit to Bangladesh by the Chinese delegation, a delegation from the court of the ruler of this country went to China in 1409; of course with a lot of precious gifts for the Chinese emperor.

The next Chinese royal delegation came to Bangladesh in the year of 1415, under the leadership of Chou-Shien. The delegation came in a large fleet and anchored at Chittagong port. From there it came to Sonargaon, the then capital of Bangladesh. At that time, Sonargaon was also a very big river port; and many Chinese ships, along with ships from many other countries, with merchandises used to visit this port regularly. Ibn Batuta, the famous Moroccan traveler of the fifteenth century, boarded on a Chinese ship from this port to travel to Java in Indonesia.

At present, Bangladesh and China are close friends. We have seen that in the past the relationship between the two countries was as cordial as it is now. The direct flight between Dhaka and Kunming has brought these two friendly countries even closer. It takes only two hours by air from Dhaka to Kunming.

The construction of a highway of 900 km in length, following the ancient Silk Route, through Myanmar, may boost the tourism, trade, and commerce between the two countries. It will bring the peoples of the two countries closer.

We welcome to our country, the members of the Chinese delegation that has embarked on a road trip following the ancient Silk Route between the two countries through Myanmar, and has reached Bangladesh at Teknaf this month.