Financial connectivity key to Bangladesh-China ties

Says Ashik Chowdhury, chairman of Invest Bangladesh

A stronger presence of Chinese financial institutions in Bangladesh could benefit both countries and help turn investment decisions into action, said Ashik Chowdhury, chairman of Invest Bangladesh.

“Financial connectivity is the next frontier of Bangladesh-China cooperation,” he said, adding that Chinese investors need easier access to trade finance, equipment loans, working capital and long-term investment support.

“Our bilateral trade volume also points to this need. Bangladeshi businesses need access to technology and productive partnerships,” he said at the Bangladesh Day event yesterday, according to a press release.

The Export-Import Bank of China, in partnership with Invest Bangladesh, organised the event at the bank’s headquarters in Beijing to encourage Chinese banks to establish operations in Bangladesh.

The event brought together 11 Chinese financial institutions, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China and Bank of China, three of the world’s four largest banks by assets.

It also featured 26 Chinese companies from sectors such as infrastructure and engineering, power and renewable energy, information and communication technology, electronics, industrial technology, environmental solutions and agricultural technology.

Bangladesh Bank and Invest Bangladesh jointly delivered the keynote presentation, titled “The Next Frontier -- Bangladesh-China Financial Connectivity”.

The presentation said Bangladesh’s trade with China reached $19 billion in FY2025, but no Chinese bank operates in the country. It also cited Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Myanmar as examples of markets with similar trade volumes with China.

The event highlighted investment opportunities in Bangladesh’s priority sectors, the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone and the Mongla Economic Zone for Chinese businesses and their financial partners.

Wang Kang, vice president of China Exim Bank, said the bank continued to use its strengths as a policy bank to support China’s foreign trade, investment and international cooperation.

“We currently have nearly 40 projects in Bangladesh, spanning infrastructure, energy, agriculture, processing and manufacturing,” he said.

The bank would also encourage more leading Chinese companies to invest directly in priority sectors such as textiles and healthcare, ensuring that financing supports Bangladesh’s real economy, he added.