The Chinese-built Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel in Bangladesh is the first under-river tunnel in South Asia. The project came under joint funding from the Chinese and Bangladeshi governments. Bangladesh was also the first South Asian country to sign a Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation with China. The two countries have had fruitful high-quality BRI cooperation over the years.
The Chinese-built Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel in Bangladesh, the first under-river tunnel in South Asia, was officially inaugurated on Saturday, October 28, 2023. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen also attended the ceremony. This venture marked Bangladesh’s entry into the era of underwater tunnels.
The tunnel is located under the Karnaphuli river, in the port city of Chittagong, which is officially known as Chattogram, and is Bangladesh’s second-largest city by population.
Bangladeshi Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaid ul Quader called the tunnel a “monumental achievement” ushering in a new era of communication within the country and marking a source of immense national pride.
The project came under joint funding from the Chinese and Bangladeshi governments, and the total cost of the project is estimated at US$1.1B. It has created more than 5,000 jobs so far, trained local people on infrastructure construction skills and promoted local economic development.
However, with the current geo-political tension rising, the India-China contest remains a crucial factor. Over the course of the past 15 years, both countries have deepened their stakes in Bangladesh but with the recent developments, India now finds itself in a difficult and precarious situation. Bangladesh’s increasing dependence on China for infrastructural development and economic assistance might upset India as it could strain ties between Bangladesh and India. Nonetheless, Bangladesh seems unaffected by this and went ahead with this project as it wants to continue harnessing the opportunities for enhanced commerce and connectivity through China’s assistance.
It must also be noted that Bangladesh was the first South Asian country to sign a Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation memorandum of understanding with China. Furthermore, China is now also Bangladesh’s largest trade partner, with bilateral trade currently valued at $25 billion. Since joining BRI in 2016, China has committed over $38 billion in investments to Bangladesh. Recently, the first phase of Bangladesh’s capital city’s Dhaka Airport Elevated Motorway project was just finished, where Chinese businesses made investments in the project and took part in its construction and operation.
Bangladesh has achieved remarkable success in its economic development in recent years by fast-tracking the alignment of its economic development strategy with the BRI to enhance its economy. The two countries have since had fruitful high-quality BRI cooperation over the years.
Bangladesh continues to unleash its economic potential and boasts a sizable youthful population while China is a superpower in infrastructure with advantages in industries like modern agriculture, electricity, and telecommunications. There is a lot of potential for cooperation between the two nations in a variety of sectors.
