Bangladesh and China should deepen economic collaboration, strengthen connectivity and expand policy exchanges to unlock new opportunities in trade, industrial development and infrastructure, speakers said on Monday, as Dhaka and Beijing sought to translate their recently upgraded strategic partnership into tangible economic gains.
Shared Governance Forum Opens in Dhaka
Addressing the opening of the Comparative Governance Forum, Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen and Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Humayun Kabir portrayed the event as a platform for policy learning rather than political alignment. They highlighted China’s development experience as a source of practical lessons for Bangladesh.
A memorandum of understanding signed between the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and Fudan University aims to deepen academic collaboration, policy dialogue and joint research on governance and development. The forum serves as a physical space for these high-level discussions to take place without the usual diplomatic formalities.
Humayun Kabir said Bangladesh should examine China’s governance and development model with an open but selective approach, adapting successful policies to suit its own political, economic and social realities. He noted that while Bangladesh had its own strengths, it could learn substantially from China’s experience in economic transformation, poverty reduction and industrial policy.
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Good governance, he argued, should ultimately be measured by improvements in citizens’ lives through transparency, accountability, responsiveness and the rule of law. This focus on tangible outcomes distinguishes theoretical policy discussions from the practical work being done at the forum.
Looking ahead, Kabir said Bangladesh saw significant opportunities in expanding economic ties with China, particularly through broader market access, industrial relocation and infrastructure cooperation. He suggested that negotiations on zero-tariff arrangements could help diversify exports beyond traditional textile products. The relocation of manufacturing from China could also create new employment opportunities in Bangladesh, though this shift requires careful planning to ensure it benefits local workers and industries.
Connectivity would remain another defining pillar of future cooperation, Kabir said, pointing to transport infrastructure, aviation, digital networks and logistics as essential drivers of economic growth and regional integration. Bangladesh’s strategic location positions it well to become a regional hub for trade, tourism and investment through stronger partnerships with China and other international partners.
Belt and Road Projects Move Forward
Yao Wen said the recent elevation of bilateral ties marked a milestone in Bangladesh-China relations and laid the foundation for what he called the next “Golden Fifty Years” of cooperation. Quoting Chinese President Xi Jinping, the ambassador said China would remain “a trustworthy good friend, good neighbour and good partner” of Bangladesh regardless of changes in the international environment.
He said both governments had reached important understandings on advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, aligning development strategies and accelerating projects including the management of the Teesta River, the modernisation and expansion of Mongla Port and the China-Myanmar-Bangladesh Economic Corridor. These large-scale infrastructure projects serve as the physical backbone of the strategic relationship.
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According to Yao, practical cooperation between the two countries was moving towards broader, more diversified and higher-quality engagement. He said exchanges on governance had become an integral component of the new phase of bilateral relations. The forum allows officials to discuss how to implement these strategic goals on the ground.
Yao said Bangladesh’s new government had adopted a development-oriented approach focused on improving livelihoods, while also facing complex governance challenges, including maintaining political stability, diversifying the economy and creating a favourable external environment. The Comparative Governance Forum had therefore been designed to provide practical policy discussions rather than theoretical debate.
A roundtable discussion between Chinese and Bangladeshi experts will examine how China’s forthcoming 15th Five-Year Plan could complement Bangladesh’s own long-term development strategy. Yao encouraged participants to reflect critically on China’s development experience while considering Bangladesh’s own national conditions.
He urged policymakers to acquire practical policy tools in governance, poverty reduction and digital administration before translating those lessons into reforms suited to Bangladesh. “As an old Chinese saying goes, those who connect heart to heart can sustain long-term relationships,” he said, describing governance exchanges as an important bridge between the two countries.
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