Confucius Classroom was launched on Saturday with the joint effort of China Radio International (CRI) and Bangladesh's Shanto Mariam Foundation.

Bangladeshi Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Abul Kalam Azad said at the launching ceremony that education and cultural exchange between China and Bangladesh will be further promoted through the Confucius Classroom.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Zheng Qingdian said he firmly believes the Confucius Classroom will be a new platform for Bangladeshi students to understand China and Chinese culture. He also hoped the classroom will be a friendship and spiritual bridge between the two peoples.

In order to meet the growing demand for foreigners to learn Chinese, China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOCFL) established more than 100 Confucius Institute allover the world. Besides, it has been cooperating with CRI since 2007 to create Confucius Classroom so the students can study Chinese more easily.

China Radio International Vice President Wang Yunpeng said there are 10 Confucius Classrooms in countries like Kenya, Japan and Russia. He said the launching of Confucius Classroom in Bangladesh marks the promotion of Chinese language in the country comes to a new stage.

CRI Bengali Department Director Yu Guangyue said the difference with Confucius Institute is that Confucius Classroom is teaching Chinese with local language. The students also can learn Chinese through radio program.

Shanto-Mariam Foundation includes University of Creative Technology which the Confucius Classroom will be established in.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2009)