BRI redefines Bangladeshi connectivity

Standing on the deck of a ferry crossing the treacherous Padma River a decade ago, one was greeted by endless hours of waiting, murky currents, and the quiet resignation of millions cut off from the economic engine of Dhaka. Today, that age-old barrier has been conquered. The Padma Multipurpose Bridge — a $3.6 billion engineering marvel built largely with Chinese technical expertise — does not merely connect 21 southwestern districts to the Bangladeshi capital. It serves as a monument to a transformed national destiny.

And beneath the bridge's roadway, a railway built through BRI cooperation carries that transformation farther into the southwest, opening markets, shortening distances and, by official estimates, potentially adding around 1 percent to national GDP growth.

As Bangladesh marks the 10th anniversary of its formal participation in China's Belt and Road Initiative, this landmark structure stands as a prominent symbol of a partnership that has strengthened connectivity and economic cooperation in South Asia.

In the decade, China has emerged as a major investor by heavily financing large-scale energy and infrastructure projects, outpacing both the United States and India.

When the two countries elevated bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership of Cooperation a decade ago, critics were quick to dismiss the BRI as a vehicle for debt-trap diplomacy or speculative vanity projects. Yet, ten years later, the empirical reality in Bangladesh tells a vastly different story. The BRI engagement has delivered tangible, transformative infrastructure, boosted macroeconomic resilience, and catalyzed Bangladesh's transition from a least developed country to a developing economy.

Far from falling into a financial mire, Bangladesh has leveraged Chinese investment to bridge its critical infrastructure deficit, establishing a blueprint for pragmatic, interest-driven South-South cooperation.

China has released $4.45 billion for 35 projects under the BRI in Bangladesh. Not only that, according to the American Enterprise Institute, a US think tank, the total investment from China in Bangladesh is $7.07 billion.

In addition, Chinese companies have received construction contracts worth $22.94 billion in different sectors. These Chinese investments generate about 550,000 jobs in Bangladesh. Given the trajectory, China is likely to become the largest investor in Bangladesh. Between 2016 and 2025, China's foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bangladesh surged from $241 million to nearly $2 billion, propelling its share from 1.6 percent to nearly 10 percent and making it the third-highest FDI source overall.

Major infrastructure projects executed under the BRI framework include 21 bridges, 12 highways, seven railway lines totalling 600 kilometers, and 27 power plant projects, which supply over 50 percent of the local electricity in the country.

Beyond megastructures, Chinese capital has targeted Bangladesh's perennial Achilles' heel: energy infrastructure. Projects such as Payra 1320MW ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant, Khulna 330MW combined cycle (dual fuel) power plant project, and Liz/Lida rooftop solar system have injected vital gigawatts into a national grid once plagued by rolling blackouts.

Furthermore, Chinese firms have built water purification plants, modernized deep-sea ports, and established special economic zones, such as the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone in Anwara, Chittagong. These investments have not only provided structural stability but have directly supported Bangladesh's garment export machine, which relies on seamless supply chains and uninterrupted power.

Bangladesh chose projects based on clear economic internal rates of return rather than political symbolism. The BRI in Bangladesh succeeded precisely because Dhaka acted as an intentional negotiator, aligning Chinese engineering capacity with its own "Vision 2041" economic roadmap.

A candid assessment reminds us that the next decade of cooperation should also unfold with some adjustments to become more resilient.

First, China's decision to grant zero-tariff treatment to 100 percent of tariff lines for Bangladeshi products was a welcome gesture. Building on this favorable arrangement, both sides can continue to strengthen trade facilitation and cooperation on standards to unlock greater potential for bilateral trade.

Second, the nature of BRI cooperation must pivot from "hard" infrastructure to "soft" connectivity, green development, and technological integration. The past decade was defined by steel, concrete, and coal-fired plants; the next decade must be defined by digital infrastructure, renewable energy, and human capital development.

As climate change poses an existential threat to Bangladesh's low-lying delta, China's unmatched manufacturing capacity in solar PV, wind turbines, and electric vehicles presents a natural frontier for alignment. Transitioning future BRI investments toward green energy transition projects will ensure that the partnership remains resilient against global climate shocks and changing international ESG standards.

Bangladesh has demonstrated that a developing nation can embrace Chinese infrastructure capital while maintaining its strategic autonomy.

The real results of BRI are measured in the student from Khulna who can now reach a university in Dhaka in three hours instead of ten; the small business owner in Chittagong accessing reliable electricity; and the factory worker whose goods reach global markets through modernized ports.

The first decade of China-Bangladesh BRI cooperation proved that ambitious infrastructure partnerships can unlock economic potential when guided by mutual interest and fiscal discipline. As the initiative enters its second decade, the imperative for both Beijing and Dhaka is to move from grand physical engineering to sustainable, high-tech, and green development.

If they succeed, the next ten years will not only consolidate Bangladesh's economic position, but will offer the Global South a compelling model of collaborative development.

Mohammad Saiyedul Islam is a senior lecturer and researcher at Sanming University in Fujian, and a senior research fellow at the Daffodil International University Belt and Road Research Centre in Bangladesh. Mohammad Shakil Bhuiyan is a faculty member in Political Studies at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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