Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's ongoing visit to China is expected to help bring Bangladesh back onto its development trajectory through deeper bilateral cooperation, said Prof Imtiaz Ahmed, Executive Director of the Center for Alternatives, Bangladesh.
Ahmed said investment should be high on the agenda for the new Bangladeshi government, as investment had declined over the past two years amid political uncertainty and instability.
"Now that we have an elected government with a mandate, I believe the new government will try to increase investment as much as possible," he said in an interview with Xinhua.
At the invitation of Premier of the State Council Li Qiang, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Tarique Rahman is paying an official visit to China.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Chinese leaders. He will meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang on June 25 and Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 26.
Apart from infrastructure, Bangladesh also expects more investment in health, education and energy, Ahmed said, noting that health and primary education are areas with strong public demand.
Ahmed said surveys conducted by his center over the past three years showed a very positive image of China in Bangladesh.
"There is strong public support for China and for Chinese investment," he said, adding that Chinese investment in infrastructure, including ports and bridges, has made a visible difference in Bangladesh.
Ahmed also noted that he has recently published a book, which focuses on both the five-decade development of Bangladesh-China ties and the long-standing civilizational links between the two peoples, adding that it is important to build on such ties.
As the world moves toward multipolarity, the Global South and Asian economies are gaining greater importance, Ahmed said.
Bangladesh, one of the world's most populous countries, can become a critical actor in strengthening cooperation among Global South countries, he added.
At this important moment when Bangladesh and China are ushering in the next golden 50 years of diplomatic relations, the Prime Minister's visit to China holds historic significance in building on past achievements and charting the way forward, said Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen.
He said this visit will surely inject strong impetus into the development of Bangladesh-China relations in the coming period and promote the upgrading of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership in both quality and substance, reports UNB.
Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, the Chinese Ambassador said, Bangladesh-China relations will forge ahead with more solid political mutual trust, more in-depth practical cooperation, and more robust international collaboration.