The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Thursday signed their first-ever Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking a formal step in institutionalizing ties between the two political parties.

The agreement was signed at 8:45 a.m. local time at the state-run Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing during the BNP delegation's official visit to China.

On behalf of the BNP, the MoU was signed by Humayun Kabir, the Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs and BNP Joint Secretary General (International Affairs). The CPC was represented by Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China.

Several senior Bangladeshi officials attended the signing ceremony, including Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan, Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M. Rashiduzzaman Millat, and China's Ambassador to Bangladesh.

The memorandum is the first formal cooperation agreement ever signed between the BNP and the CPC. While details of the agreement were not immediately disclosed, the MoU is expected to provide a framework for strengthening exchanges and cooperation between the two parties.

The signing comes during a high-profile BNP visit to China, underscoring Beijing's growing engagement with Bangladesh's major political parties ahead of the country's next general election.