Dhaka, Mar 27 (V7N) -Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus wanted to visit India before his upcoming trip to China, but the request did not receive a "positive" response from New Delhi, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam reportedly told The Hindu on Tuesday.
“We showed our interest and asked the Indian side as early as December last year for a bilateral visit of Chief Adviser Prof Yunus to India, weeks before finalizing his China visit. Unfortunately, we did not receive a positive response,” the Indian newspaper quoted Shafiqul as saying.
Yunus is in China, from Wednesday to Saturday, where he will meet President Xi Jinping and pitch Bangladesh as an investment destination, particularly for manufacturing.
He is also scheduled to attend the Boao Forum for Asia on Thursday and receive an honorary doctorate from Peking University on Friday.
During his visit, he will engage with top Chinese investors to attract private investments into Bangladesh.
Yunus’s visit follows Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s December 2024 trip to China, signaling Beijing’s growing engagements in South Asia.
Notably, Yunus had previously met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New York in September 2024, where he invited China to manufacture solar panels in Bangladesh.
Looking ahead, Yunus will attend the Bimstec summit in Bangkok on April 3-4, and Dhaka has requested a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the event. Bangladesh is still awaiting India’s response.
His China visit, beginning on Bangladesh’s Independence Day, comes amid shifting global trade dynamics, particularly with US President Donald Trump’s push for reciprocal tariffs, which could affect major economies from April 2.
In a speech on Tuesday, Yunus highlighted Bangladesh’s potential as a regional economic hub, supporting trade with India’s northeast, Bhutan, and Nepal. He also accepted an invitation to visit Malaysia in the near future.
“Geographical location has given us economic potential. Our long coastline can host industrial zones and ports, transforming the region’s future,” he said, reinforcing Bangladesh’s commitment to attracting investments from regional partners, including China and India.
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