Welcome mat laid out to attract Chinese support for development projects

Overseas investors, especially from China and India, are welcome to join development projects in Bangladesh, according to Obaidul Quader, the Southeast Asian nation's minister of road transport and bridges.

Quader, also general secretary of Bangladesh's ruling party the Awami League, made the comment a day after meeting with a delegation of the Communist Party of China, or CPC, visiting Bangladesh to find ways to speed up China-backed development and infrastructure projects throughout the country.

The Chinese delegation, led by Chen Zhou, deputy head of the CPC Central Committee's International Department, visited Bangladesh from Jan 9-11, according to the website of the Chinese embassy in Dhaka. Yao Wen, the new Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh, was present at the meeting.

Quader highlighted at the meeting the contribution and achievements made by China in completing major infrastructure projects in Bangladesh. These projects include the Karnaphuli River Tunnel, a Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, project in Dhaka to reduce traffic congestion, and the 6.15-km road-rail bridge spanning the Padma River, which was inaugurated by Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in June.

Hasina and leaders of major parties in Bangladesh met separately with the Chinese delegation, which explained decisions taken at the 20th CPC National Congress in October, according to the embassy.

Bangladesh is looking to complete the BRT project as quickly as possible to ease severe traffic congestion in Dhaka. A key part of the project, the Airport-Gazipur BRT, funded by the Asian Development Bank, and entrusted to a Chinese company in 2016, has already been completed, Quader said.

Another important project, the Karnaphuli Tunnel in the port city of Chittagong, is scheduled to open in March, Quader said.

Zhao Lijian, then Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said in November that this joint project between Bangladesh and China is built within the framework of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor.

China Communications Construction Co and China Road and Bridge Corp helped build the Karnaphuli Tunnel, which when completed will reduce the journey between the airport and the industrial park at Chittagong port from four hours to about 20 minutes.

In September, the eighth Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge, spanning the Kocha River, was inaugurated in southwestern Bangladesh. Beijing provided nearly $69 million to support construction of the $95 million link.

Munshi Fayaz Ahmad, a former Bangladesh ambassador to China, said Bangladesh is cooperating mainly with China and India on major development projects.

During Hasina's visit to India in September, she urged Indian investors to back her country's infrastructure, manufacturing, energy, and transportation sectors.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.