New Delhi, Sep 15 — China’s infrastructure push in Bangladesh under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is strengthening connectivity across some of the country’s key economic corridors while creating greater access for Chinese goods and industrial inputs, according to an analysis by Dr Sakariya Kareem cited by Asian Lite International report.
The development of roads, bridges, railways and ports is also acquiring a wider strategic significance, as the infrastructure could potentially enhance China’s influence in the Bay of Bengal and the broader Indian Ocean region, Kareem writes.
The analysis draws a comparison with the railway network developed in India during British rule, when major ports such as Bombay, Calcutta and Madras were connected with their hinterlands. The network was primarily designed to transport raw materials to British industries and distribute British manufactured goods into Indian markets, rather than to promote balanced economic development across the subcontinent.
According to Kareem, China’s infrastructure engagement with Bangladesh reflects a similar focus on advancing its economic interests. Beijing’s assistance through the BRI has supported the development of roads and bridges as well as seaport infrastructure, facilitating the movement of Chinese manufactured goods and semi-processed industrial inputs into Bangladesh.
The geographical distribution of Chinese-backed infrastructure projects is particularly significant. The analysis says the BRI’s major focus has been on central and southeastern Bangladesh, particularly the Dhaka and Chittagong divisions, which are among the country’s more developed economic regions, the report stated.
Three major river systems — the Padma, Jamuna and Meghna — run through Bangladesh before reaching the Bay of Bengal, with several important ports located around their mouths. The Karnaphuli River in the east drains the Chittagong Hill Tracts towards the Bay of Bengal near Chittagong, as per the report.
Inland waterways have traditionally played a major role in Bangladesh’s transportation network, accounting for more than half of the country’s total cargo movement and around a quarter of passenger traffic. This contrasts sharply with India, where inland waterways account for only around 2 per cent of total cargo movement, the analysis notes.
Many Chinese-assisted road and bridge projects are concentrated around these river systems, linking Dhaka and Chittagong with maritime gateways. The two regions are also important centres of Bangladesh’s readymade garment industry, the country’s key manufacturing sector, as per the report.