Belt and Road exhibition showcases China-Bangladesh cooperation

Beijing-Dhaka cooperation in focus at BRI exhibition

September 13, 2025 00:00:00

Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin inaugurates 'The Belt & Road Initiative in Bangladesh Exhibition 2025' in International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB), Dhaka on Friday. The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Bangladesh and the Chinese Enterprises Association in Bangladesh jointly organised the event.— PID

The two-day Belt and Road Initiative Exhibition has opened in Dhaka with the aim of casting a spotlight on the "joint capabilities" of China and Bangladesh and attracting Chinese investment, reports bdnews24.com

Speaking at the inaugural event in Bashundhara Convention Centre on Friday, Commerce Advisor Sheikh Bashir Uddin said: "This exhibition is a platform for our mutual cooperation and sharing of ideas. Through this, we are trying to establish a connection between trade and investment."

Bashir noted that Chinese investment in Bangladesh has risen by 300 percent, underscoring the need to identify weaknesses while learning from China's experience.

"We need to move forward through exchange of experiences. There is an opportunity to move forward if we can utilise China's experience in production and packaging," he said.

Asked about Bangladesh's progress compared with China and Japan, the commerce advisor pointed to the ready-made garment sector.

"Bangladesh is ahead in many areas, including ready-made garments. Bangladesh is the world's second-largest exporter of ready-made garments, but overall we are lagging behind," he said.

He added that Bangladesh has sought cooperation from China in road and transport development, citing road safety as a major concern.

"The number of people killed in road accidents in Bangladesh every year is horrific. In this regard, road infrastructure development and transport systems need to be improved. We have sought cooperation from China, one of our development partners, in this regard," Bashir said.

On trade with the United States, he said a delegation from Washington is expected in Dhaka on Sunday to discuss tariff issues. "There will be discussions with the delegation on how to structure the tariffs," he said.

Eight Bangladeshi companies and 32 Chinese firms are participating in the exhibition, which has been organised by the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka.

The event aims to strengthen economic, commercial and technological ties between the two countries, bringing together companies, investors, government officials and technologists from a range of sectors.