“Bangladesh needs huge financial resources and technological support to upgrade the infrastructure, make rapid industrialisation and create millions of jobs to eradicate poverty. China can extend a helping hand in this regard,” said Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun.
He made the remarks while addressing the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) being held in Beijing.
Mahmud Humayun said China has emerged as an important development partner of Bangladesh and already become Bangladesh’s largest trading partner.
He said Bangladesh has been actively promoting the BCIM Economic Corridor, a key BRI project connecting China with South Asia and the resourceful Indian Ocean.
“Bangladesh is centrally situated along the BCIM Economic Corridor and expected to be hugely benefitted from the enhanced connectivity. Bangladesh also occupies an important position along the Maritime Silk Road and her ports can become important maritime hubs in the Indian Ocean region,” he mentioned.
Bangladesh formally joined the BRI through the signing of an MoU during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Bangladesh in October, 2016.
Under the Belt and Road Initiative framework, China wants to share its development experiences with other countries and improve connectivity between Asia and Europe and Africa.
The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping. This mega initiative emerged when President Xi came to power in 2013.
Leaders, including heads of state and government from 37 countries, are attending the three-day forum's roundtable summit.
China's Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping nearly six years ago, has made practical progress, with 125 countries and 29 international organizations having signed 173 cooperation agreements under the initiative framework as of March 27, according to China Daily.
Under the initiative's five cooperation priorities of policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bond, there are a batch of projects, such as transportation construction and industrial infrastructure, in full swing or already having yielded fruitful results, the Chinese daily reported.