"Deng Xiaoping was the father of modern and mighty China" and his policy of "Reform and Opening-up" made China giant politically, economically and militarily.

This was the comment of former Bangladeshi president Lt. General Hussain Muhammad Ershad, who ruled this South Asian country for about nine years since March 1982.

General Ershad, chairman of the Jatiya Party (National Party) received Xinhua correspondents at his party office at Banani in Dhaka.

In the exclusive interview in connection with Deng Xiaoping's 100th anniversary of birth to be celebrated in China on August 22, 2004, Ershad said during his rule, he had visited China five times.

"It's a great honor for me that I met Deng during my every visit", he said.

The former president, who was put in jail for six years by his political rivals after he lost power in a mass upsurge in December 1990, recalled his first meeting with Deng Xiaoping in Beijing in 1983 while he was chief martial law administrator.

General Ershad, who came to power in March 24, 1982, said when he met Deng Xiaoping for the first time, Deng was 81 and he had never seen such a quick in thought leader in such an age.

"Deng knew everything about international affairs. Deng knew every development that was happening in Bangladesh," he said, adding that "Deng's statesmanship made a deep impression on me."

General Ershad observed that Deng Xiaoping pursuit the policy of reform and opening-up just at the end of a social turmoil in China. He praised the political courage of Deng for his reform policy.

The Jatiya Party chairman said Deng Xiaoping's reform policy reflected China's own character. "He successfully transformed China's former socialist economy under the leadership of Chinese Communist Party into a market economy also under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party," he noted.

Deng himself shaped the economic development in Shenzhen as a model and then spread his idea into the entire China, he said, adding that after that the Chinese economy had started to pick up and to grow faster.

Ershad said "whenever I had visited China I had seen new China with rapid changes."

The ex-president visited China again on April 10 this year at the invitation of the Chinese government. He said when he had been in China 14 years ago, China was at its initial stage of economic progress led by Deng's reform and opening-up policy, but this time he had seen a new China.

He said wherever he went in China, he saw new sky scrappers, flourishing communication networks and bustling commercial sections. The foreign investors are now rushing to China as the Asian giant can now offer tremendous commercial opportunities for them, he said.

Ershad noted that during his China tours in the past, he only saw a few number of cars running in the streets, but the situation is changed. "Now you can see huge number of cars in the Chinese streets. Now quite a number of Chinese common people have ability to buy car for private use."

"Without seeing with own eyes nobody can believe China is developing so fast. I am astonished," General Ershad, 74, said.

"Others now value China more and the country is playing more role in maintaining regional as well as global peace," he said.

"As Deng Xiaoping made significant contribution to modern China, he is now in the hearts of the Chinese people and the people will remember him forever," he said.

Terming China as a best friend of Bangladesh, the ex-president said he believes in "One China Policy", as Taiwan is an integral part of China. Bangladesh should abide by its principled stand on Taiwan issue, he said.

Source: Xinhua