Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh Professor Mohammed Yunus desired to travel to India before visiting China but Dhaka’s request for the visit did not elicit a “positive” Indian response, said Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to Mr. Yunus, to The Hindu on Tuesday (March 24, 2025).
Mr. Alam said Chief Adviser Yunus will travel to China on March 26, where he will hold a meeting with President Xi Jinping and pitch Bangladesh as a destination for Chinese investments especially in the manufacturing sector, reports The Hindu.
“We in fact, showed our interest and asked the Indian side as early as in December last year for a bilateral visit of Chief Advisor Prof Yunus to India. This was done weeks before his visit to China was finalised. Unfortunately, we didn’t receive a positive response,” said Mr. Alam explaining that Mr. Yunus seeks warm bilateral ties with India.
Nepal model
Mr. Yunus is the second leader from South Asia to be hosted in China in four months. Nepal’s Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli travelled to China in December 2024 for a four day visit.
Mr. Alam further informed that Mr. Yunus will upon his return from China participate in the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok on 3-4 April and added, “We have made another request for a meeting between Prof. Yunus and Mr. Modi during the upcoming BIMSTEC summit in Thailand and we are waiting for India’s response.”
The official said that Mr. Yunus will hold meetings with prominent Chinese investors during the 26-29 March China visit as he is eager to present Bangladesh as a business-friendly destination that will provide the right business atmosphere to Chinese manufacturing units.
He observed that Chinese investments are viewed adversely in various locations in the world which gives Bangladesh the option to welcome private Chinese investments. “Apart from the meeting with President Xi Jinping on 28 March, Prof Yunus will be hosted at the Peking University where he will receive an honorary doctorate,” said Mr. Alam providing a look at the agenda of the visit. Mr. Yunus will also participate in the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference on 27 March.
Mr. Yunus had met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New York in September 2024 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly when Mr. Wang had described Mr. Yunus as an “old friend of the Chinese people”. In the same meeting, Mr. Yunus had called upon China to manufacture solar panels in Bangladesh. The visit to China by Mr. Yunus which will begin on the independence day of Bangladesh has attracted attention as it comes at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump is redrawing trade relations across the world with his call for reciprocal tariff that is expected to hit major economies on April 2, 2025.
In a speech delivered on Tuesday (March 25, 2025), Mr. Yunus called for turning Bangladesh into a major growth engine for South Asia region that would support India’s northeastern states, Bhutan and Nepal. In the speech, he announced the visit to China adding that Malaysia has also invited him to visit that he has accepted.
“Geographical location has given us economic potential. From Kumira to Teknaf we have a long coast line that can host a number of industrial zones and ports. This can transform the economic future of the region,” said Mr. Yunus pitching Bangladesh as a business-friendly economy for India, Nepal, Bhutan and China.
