Bangladesh PM Rahman heads to China, Malaysia on first
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- Tarique Rahman embarks on his first overseas trip since taking office — a six-day visit to Malaysia starting Sunday, followed by a three-day official visit to China, focused on attracting investment and boosting overseas employment.
- Bangladesh expects to sign 15-17 bilateral instruments with China, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam told reporters Saturday, with discussions on the long-delayed Teesta River project also on the agenda.
- Rahman is scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang on June 25 and President Xi Jinping on June 26, and will attend the World Economic Forum's Summer Davos in Dalian.
- Dhaka recently approved a 41.89 billion taka ($340 million) infrastructure project for the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone in Chittagong, backed by 24.67 billion taka in concessional Chinese loans and projected to create around 100,000 jobs and attract over $500 million in FDI.
- Malaysia talks will center on labor migration and recruitment of Bangladeshi workers, as Malaysia remains one of the largest destinations for Bangladeshi migrant workers whose remittances are a key foreign exchange source.
- Bangladesh-India relations have improved since Rahman's government took office in February, but border tensions and alleged migrant push-ins persist, with University of Dhaka professor Asif Shahan saying the China visit reflects Dhaka's effort to balance its external partnerships.
Why it matters: Rahman's debut trip tests Dhaka's external balancing: securing $340 million in Chinese-backed infrastructure and 15-17 bilateral deals while engaging Malaysia on labor migration that underpins Bangladesh's remittance economy. The China leg, including revived Teesta River talks, shows the post-Hasina government's intent to sustain Beijing's economic role while mending ties with New Delhi.
