China's Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with a bronze bust of Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Photo: Courtesy for Yang Zi

China's Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming greeted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter's official residence in Bangladesh on Monday, and gifted her with a bust of Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

The sculpture, 1.9 meters tall (including a 1.1-meter base), 62 centimeters long and 62 centimeters wide, was created by Chinese sculptor Wu Weishan. 

Hasina praised the sculpture as an outstanding work of art and thanked Chinese officials. She also expressed her gratitude to Li and Wu for their contributions to promoting cooperation and exchanges between the two countries. 

Standing next to the bust of the founding father, Hasina affectionately recalled that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had been a friend of China throughout his life, and he foresaw the prosperity of the country, which is now the world's second largest economy. 

Hasina also expressed the hope that China and Bangladesh will continue to maintain close cooperation and achieve shared prosperity in future. 

The Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh specially invited an internationally renowned sculptor Wu Weishan, director of National Art Museum of China, to create the art piece to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sheikh Mujib Rahman, the father of Bangladesh, and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's independence.