‘No geopolitical risk in China corridor’
Bangladesh sees no geopolitical risk in a proposed regional corridor linking the country to China through Myanmar and believes the initiative could turn the region into a major trade and commercial hub.
However, Dhaka believes a permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis must be secured before the proposed Bangladesh-China-Myanmar corridor becomes operational.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir made the remarks on Thursday while speaking to journalists at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka after seeing off Liu Haixing, minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, who left Dhaka after a three-day visit.
“There is no geopolitical concern regarding the proposed corridor through Myanmar to China. If implemented, it will have a positive impact on our economy,” Humaiun Kobir said.
He said Bangladesh had considerable interest in joining the regional connectivity initiative, which could significantly enhance trade, investment and economic
cooperation among the three countries.
However, he stressed that a permanent resolution to the Rohingya crisis was a prerequisite for moving forward with the initiative.
The proposed corridor is expected to improve regional connectivity by linking Bangladesh with China’s southwestern region through Myanmar, potentially opening up new opportunities for trade, transport and cross-border economic cooperation.
For Bangladesh, the initiative could provide an additional route to access Chinese markets and strengthen its position in regional supply chains. It could also improve connectivity with neighbouring economies and create opportunities for investment and infrastructure development.
The minister’s remarks indicate that Dhaka views the proposed corridor primarily from an economic and regional connectivity perspective rather than as a geopolitical undertaking.
Meanwhile, the state minister dismissed suggestions that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina might return to Bangladesh in December, describing the prospect as “ridiculous”.
“Sheikh Hasina is a fugitive terrorist. In her case, this is not a matter of return; rather, it is a matter of handing her over under the extradition treaty,” he said.
He also ruled out issuing an ordinary passport or travel pass to Hasina to facilitate her return from India, saying her transfer would have to take place under the existing extradition agreement between Bangladesh and India.
“As she is a death-row convict, no ordinary passport or travel pass will be issued to bring her back from India. She will have to be brought from Delhi under the existing extradition treaty between the two countries,” the state minister said.
The comments come amid continued diplomatic and legal discussions over Hasina’s return from India following her conviction and death sentence in Bangladesh.
Dhaka’s position, as outlined by the state minister, is that her return should be pursued through the formal legal mechanism governing extradition between the two countries rather than through ordinary travel documentation.
On Bangladesh-China relations, Humaiun Kobir expressed optimism that Liu Haixing’s visit would further strengthen bilateral and strategic ties.
He said the visit would help deepen cooperation between the two countries and make it more dynamic in the coming days.
Liu Haixing, who led a CPC delegation, arrived in Dhaka for a three-day visit aimed at strengthening political and institutional engagement between Bangladesh and China.
His visit also reflected the growing importance of party-to-party exchanges in the broader Bangladesh-China relationship, alongside traditional diplomatic, economic and strategic cooperation.
