Bangladesh has urged leading Chinese banks to establish operations in the country to strengthen financial connectivity, facilitate trade financing and support Chinese investment in Bangladesh, says BSS report.
The call was made at a ‘Bangladesh Day’ event held at the headquarters of the Export-Import Bank of China in Beijing today, jointly organised by the bank and Invest Bangladesh, said a press release here.
Eleven Chinese financial institutions participated in the event, including three of the world’s four largest banks by assets — the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Agricultural Bank of China and Bank of China.
Twenty-six leading Chinese companies from infrastructure and engineering, power and renewable energy, information technology, green technology, electronics and agricultural technology sectors also attended the event.
Invest Bangladesh Chairman Ashik Chowdhury attended as the chief guest, while China Exim Bank Vice President Wang Kang and Bangladesh Ambassador to China Md Nazmul Islam were present as guests of honour.
Bangladesh Bank and Invest Bangladesh jointly presented a paper titled “The Next Frontier: Bangladesh-China Financial Connectivity”.
According to the presentation, bilateral trade between Bangladesh and China reached US$19 billion in the fiscal year 2024-25. Despite the substantial trade volume, no Chinese bank has yet established direct operations in Bangladesh.
The presentation noted that Chinese banks are already operating successfully in countries such as Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, although their trade volumes with China are lower than that of Bangladesh.
The event highlighted Bangladesh’s priority investment sectors, the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone (CEIZ) in Chattogram and investment opportunities in the Mongla Economic Zone.
Discussions focused on how Chinese companies and their financing institutions could participate in these opportunities.
“Financial connectivity is the next phase of Bangladesh-China cooperation,” Ashik Chowdhury said.
He said the presence of Chinese banks in Bangladesh was essential to provide trade financing, equipment procurement facilities, working capital and long-term investment support to Chinese companies investing in the country.
Bangladeshi companies, he added, need technology and partnerships that can help expand their businesses and production capacity.
“An increased presence of Chinese financial institutions in Bangladesh can benefit both sides and make it easier to turn investment decisions into reality,” he said.
Wang Kang said China Exim Bank, as a policy bank, was currently involved in around 40 projects in Bangladesh across sectors including infrastructure, energy, agriculture and manufacturing.
He said the bank would encourage leading Chinese companies to invest directly in Bangladesh’s priority sectors, including textiles and healthcare, in the coming days.
Such investments would play an important role in Bangladesh’s overall economic development, he added.
The event concluded with a networking session, during which Chinese business leaders and bank representatives held direct discussions with the Bangladesh delegation on foreign direct investment, easier financing arrangements and potential partnerships.