India’s policy towards Bangladesh remains mired in pushing back supposed illegal migrants or raising the bogey of Jamaat consolidation along the border — ‘issues’ highlighted ahead of the recently concluded elections in West Bengal. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s new government has wasted no time in signalling where it sees the country’s economic future. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent visit to Beijing, his first official visit, saw a raft of agreements on investment, technology and infrastructure.

There was another more consequential shift. The visit revived three projects that have been on Bangladesh’s development agenda for years — the China-backed economic zone at Mongla Port, the long-delayed Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project and the proposed China–Myanmar–Bangladesh Economic Corridor. Together, they reveal an intent to make economic development the pivot of its foreign policy and statecraft.

For decades, Bangladesh’s external engagements were shaped primarily by aid, trade preferences and development partnerships. Today, the country’s ambitions are markedly different. Having crossed the threshold into lower-middle-income status and preparing to graduate from the UN’s Least Developed Country category in 2029, Dhaka is increasingly seeking foreign relationships that will bring investments into the country — in its industry, infrastructure and towards greater integration with Asian supply chains.

That objective framed Rahman’s discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. The two governments elevated bilateral ties to what Beijing described as a ‘China–Bangladesh community with a shared future’. Both governments reaffirmed cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and committed to accelerate projects that Bangladesh considers central to its next phase of economic development.

Also Read: India's border policy testing fragile reset with Bangladesh

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