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Bangladesh has invited entrepreneurs from China’s Yunnan province to invest in the country and expand bilateral trade, highlighting its strategic position as a gateway linking the markets of South Asia, Southeast Asia and China.
The Bangladesh Consulate General in Kunming made the appeal at a promotional event on investment and trade opportunities organised at the Yunnan Entrepreneurs General Association in Kunming.
Held under the theme “Connectivity with the South, Prosperity through Open Cooperation”, the event showcased Bangladesh’s investment potential and business opportunities to entrepreneurs from Yunnan.
Ridwanur Rahman, first secretary (commercial) at the Bangladesh Consulate General in Kunming, delivered a presentation titled “Bangladesh: An Investment Destination”.
He said Bangladesh had emerged as an important destination for international investors because of its competitive workforce, industrial land, energy facilities, universal electricity coverage and strategic geographic location.
As a country connecting South Asia, Southeast Asia and China, Bangladesh offers Chinese entrepreneurs opportunities to access new markets, he said.
Ridwanur also highlighted the proposed Kunming-Chattogram corridor, describing it as a potentially important trade route connecting southwest China with the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.
If implemented, the corridor could create new opportunities for Yunnan-based businesses to expand trade and investment in Bangladesh, he said.
The diplomat said foreign investors in Bangladesh can enjoy 100% ownership, along with the right to repatriate capital and profits. He also noted that Bangladesh has bilateral investment treaties with 34 countries, including China, providing an established framework for foreign investment.
The presentation highlighted several investment-supporting facilities and projects, including the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone under development in Anwara, Chattogram; the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority’s One Stop Service; export processing zones; high-tech parks; and potential public-private partnership projects worth more than US$4 billion.
The consulate identified ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals, electronics, electric vehicles, agro-processing, renewable energy, logistics and supply-chain services and information technology as promising sectors for Chinese investment.
It also pointed to opportunities for Chinese companies in solar power, energy-storage technologies and environmentally friendly construction.
Following the presentation, Yunnan entrepreneurs held discussions with the commercial wing of the Bangladesh Consulate General on investment and trade opportunities in Bangladesh.
The consulate said it was also working to strengthen Bangladesh’s trade and investment ties with Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou and Guangxi, alongside Yunnan.
The initiative comes as Bangladesh seeks to attract more foreign investment and diversify its trade and investment partnerships with Chinese provinces beyond traditional commercial centres.