How much has Bangladesh achieved from BRI?

In this article, SGAIN team member Muhammad Badrul Hasan explores the impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative in Bangladesh on the decade anniversary of its first involvement.

The year 2026 marks a decade of Bangladesh's involvement in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). On this occasion, it is important to assess what we have achieved from this partnership, its potential impact, and what can be done going forward. What began through Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Bangladesh in 2016—with promises of transformative infrastructure, enhanced connectivity, and deepened trade links—has evolved into a complex chapter in our national development story.

The BRI is China's global infrastructure development and connectivity strategy launched in 2013. It aims to boost trade, investment, and cultural exchange by building networks of roads, railways, ports, energy pipelines, and digital infrastructure across Asia, Africa, Europe, and beyond. For some, the BRI has been a gateway to long-overdue projects and regional integration, and for others, it has raised questions about debt sustainability, environmental impacts, and the balance of strategic interests.