China-backed roads, bridges and ports are strengthening Bangladesh’s trade corridors while expanding Beijing’s economic reach….reports Asian Lite News Desk
China’s infrastructure investments in Bangladesh under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are strengthening connectivity along key economic corridors while expanding access for Chinese goods and industrial inputs, according to an analysis cited by Asian Lite International.
The analysis by Dr Sakariya Kareem said China-backed roads, bridges, railways and port infrastructure were improving links between major economic centres and maritime gateways. At the same time, the projects could increase Beijing’s strategic influence in the Bay of Bengal and the wider Indian Ocean region.
Kareem compared China’s infrastructure engagement with the railway network developed in India during British rule. That network linked major ports such as Bombay, Calcutta and Madras with inland areas and was largely designed to transport raw materials to British industries and distribute manufactured goods in Indian markets.
According to the analysis, China’s infrastructure activities in Bangladesh similarly serve wider economic interests by improving the movement of Chinese manufactured products and semi-processed industrial inputs into the country.
The geographical concentration of BRI projects is also significant. Major Chinese-backed infrastructure development has focused on central and southeastern Bangladesh, particularly the Dhaka and Chittagong divisions, which are among the country’s key economic regions.
Bangladesh’s geography gives the infrastructure network added importance. The Padma, Jamuna and Meghna rivers flow through the country before reaching the Bay of Bengal, while the Karnaphuli River in the east drains towards the sea near Chittagong.
Inland waterways remain an important part of Bangladesh’s transport system, accounting for more than half of total cargo movement and around a quarter of passenger traffic, the analysis noted. In comparison, inland waterways account for around 2 per cent of cargo movement in India.
Several Chinese-assisted road and bridge projects are concentrated around these major river systems, helping connect Dhaka and Chittagong with maritime gateways and strengthening links between inland production centres and ports.
The two regions are also major centres of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry, the country’s leading manufacturing sector.
The analysis said the combination of improved road, bridge and port connectivity and access to major economic centres could provide China with greater commercial reach in Bangladesh.
Beyond trade, however, the infrastructure network has potential strategic implications. Improved connections between Bangladesh’s economic centres and its ports could enhance China’s economic and strategic presence around the Bay of Bengal, an area of growing importance in the wider Indian Ocean region.
The analysis therefore views China’s BRI engagement in Bangladesh as extending beyond individual infrastructure projects, linking trade, industrial supply chains and maritime access within a broader regional footprint.
