Energy, development projects, soft loans to dominate talks
Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr. Khalilur Rahman will leave Dhaka today (Tuesday noon) on a three-day visit to Beijing at the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yi, sources in Dhaka and Beijing said.
The upcoming Beijing trip comes after FM’s recent visit to New Delhi where he held meetings with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and high-level officials.
This visit, announced by diplomatic sources in both Dhaka and Beijing, comes at a critical time amid uncertainty over USA-Israel imposed war on Iran, tensions in Gaza and Lebanon, Russia-Ukraine conflict and rising prices of petroleum products.
According to sources, this visit aims to deepen Bangladesh’s ties with China, the world’s second-largest economy.
During his visit, Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman is expected to discuss his counterpart People’s Republic of China Wang Yi,and Chinese leaders a wide range of issues. These will include trade, investment, mid and long-term loans, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, various Chinese investments, the Rohingya crisis, and the civil war in Myanmar. Such comprehensive dialogue aims to address and bolster the multifaceted relationship between the two countries.
Both leaders are expected to discuss the visit of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to China in mutually convenient time this or next year, sources said. Both nations emphasized the importance of high-level exchanges and people-to-people connectivity.
Earlier on February 12, 2026, Bangladesh successfully held its general election, and the new government’s top priority is to stabilize economic and social developments.
The war in the middle-east has pushed the prices of petroleum products in the global market putting tremendous economic pressure on Bangladesh. Bangladesh is likely to seek Chinese cooperation in the energy sector to soothe the situation. It is to be mentioned here that China has invested heavily in the energy sector in the African countries and is meeting some portion of its energy demands. In this context, Dhaka is likely to request Beijing to export petroleum products originated in the African countries.
Sources indicate that Bangladesh may seek a special Chinese economic package to mitigate the macroeconomic pressures facing the country. The civil war in neighboring Myanmar and the influx of 1.1 million Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh have severely impacted the country’s social fabric.
Consequently, Dhaka is expected to request Beijing in resolving this crisis. Bangladeshis likely to raise the significant trade imbalance with China, urging Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in promising sectors. Currently, China is Bangladesh’s largest trading partner. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, Bangladesh exported goods worth $610.14 million to China, while imports from China totaled $17,826.6 million, resulting in a trade deficit of over $19 billion.
In 2016, during President Xi’s visit to Bangladesh, both nations signed a series of Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements, promising $26 billion in BRI projects and $14 billion in joint ventures, amounting to a $40 billion package. BRI projects in Bangladesh have primarily focused on energy and transportation, with infrastructure investment needs projected to reach 1.5% of GDP by 2040. This substantial investment highlights the strategic importance of Bangladesh in China’s BRI plans and the mutual benefits both countries seek to achieve through these collaborations.
China currently ranks fourth among the 32 countries and organizations lending to Bangladesh, with Chinese loans representing nearly 10% of the total loans received annually by Bangladesh.
Both Dhaka and Beijing may discuss the possibility of signing FTA between the two countries The feasibility study report indicates that the FTA will reduce tariffs on Chinese goods imported into Bangladesh, potentially lowering import prices and alleviating inflation.
Meanwhile, Dr. Khalilur Rahman held meeting diplomats of Gulf countries at a breakfast meeting on Tuesday morning at the state guest House Padma and seek their cooperation on energy and employment of Bangladeshis in the region…….
The USA-Israel imposed war on Iran has hit the overseas employment of Bangladesh creating an uncertainty in the overseas job market, said a leader of Bangladesh Association of International Recruitment Agencies (BAIRA).
The manpower export during the last two months plummeted sharply with USA and Iran at loggerhead over ending the war and ensuring peace and stability in the region.
Bangladesh exported a total of 95,092 workers in January, 65,634 workers in February, 44629 workers in March and 43,490 workers in April to overseas countries.
Saudi Arabia remained the top destination in both months, though numbers declined significantly. Labour recruiters noted that low-skilled workers continue to dominate Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern routes.
Xinhua adds: Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman will visit China from May 5 to 7 at the invitation of Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson announced on Monday.
The spokesperson said China and Bangladesh have long been each other’s friends and close neighbors and are comprehensive strategic cooperative partners. Over the past five decades and more since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have been developing friendly ties on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and with mutual respect and equality, and the bilateral ties have enjoyed sustained and steady progress and delivered tangibly for the two peoples, the spokesperson added.
China attaches high importance to its relations with Bangladesh, the spokesperson said, adding that through the upcoming visit, China hopes to work with the new government of Bangladesh to enhance political mutual trust, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and strengthen China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership
