China Exim Bank plans 'Bangladesh Day' as Bida pushes to boost Chinese investment ahead of PM's visit

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) has met with a delegation from China's state-owned Exim Bank to explore ways to increase Chinese investment in Bangladesh, with the bank proposing a special 'Bangladesh Day' at its annual international event.

The meeting, held today (10 June) at the Bida building in the capital's Agargaon, was also attended by representatives from the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) and Bangladesh Bank. Various areas of mutual cooperation to boost Chinese business investment in Bangladesh were discussed at the meeting.

Speaking to TBS, Bida Executive Member and Head of Business Development Nahian Rahman Rochi said, "We discussed various promising sectors for increasing Chinese investment in Bangladesh. We have sought their cooperation in encouraging Chinese investors to invest in Bangladesh's priority sectors."

He added, "We also raised the possibility of a Chinese commercial bank establishing a presence in Bangladesh. This would further strengthen the confidence of Chinese businesspeople and investors and make business operations easier."

According to meeting sources, China Exim Bank also shared its plan to organise a 'Bangladesh Day' later this year as part of its annual international event. Through this event, organised in collaboration with Bida, awareness will be created among the Chinese entrepreneurs about Bangladesh's investment potential, business environment, and priority sectors.

Nahian Rahman Rochi told TBS, "China Exim Bank's annual event is attended by its clients, investors, financial institutions, and business partners. If a special session or 'Bangladesh Day' focused on Bangladesh is organised there, it will create an opportunity to present Bangladesh's investment potential to a large number of Chinese investors."

He further noted that the process of establishing a Bida office in China is underway, and that the authority's presence in the country is expected to be seen once all necessary procedures are finalised.

According to analysts, these meetings, held ahead of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's upcoming visit to China, signal a further strengthening of Bangladesh-China economic cooperation and investment relations.

Notably, yesterday, a delegation from China's state-owned Exim Bank held a meeting with Bangladesh Bank, where discussions were held on the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System as an alternative to dollar-based international transactions, and on the possibility of issuing Panda Bonds in the Chinese market.