Professor Mohammed Yunus, the Interim Government's Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, had shown eagerness to travel to India prior to his trip to China as per schedule.
But Dhaka's invitation was not met with a "positive" reply from New Delhi, Press Secretary to Mr. Yunus Shafiqul Alam said. Confirming in a conversation with The Hindu on Tuesday, March 24, 2025, Mr. Alam said that despite initial contacts, India did not issue an invitation for the visit.
Yunus' Visit to China to be Focused on Investments
Mr. Yunus will depart for his visit to China on March 26 when he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and will talk up Bangladesh as a desirable hub of Chinese investments, especially in the manufacturing sector.
"We actually demonstrated our interest and invited the Indian side way back in December last year for a bilateral visit by Chief Advisor Prof Yunus to India. This was done weeks before his visit to China was confirmed. Unfortunately, we didn't get a positive response," said Mr. Alam, underlining Mr. Yunus' desire to reinforce relations with India.
Following Nepal's Footsteps
Mr. Yunus will be the second South Asian leader in four months to visit China, after Nepalese Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli visited Beijing in December 2024. After his return from China, Mr. Yunus will participate in the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok on April 3-4.
"Again, we have requested a meeting between Prof. Yunus and Mr. Modi at the next BIMSTEC summit in Thailand and we are awaiting India's response," Mr. Alam further added.
Strengthening Economic Ties with China
In his visit to China between March 26 and 29, Mr. Yunus is likely to meet important Chinese investors and promote Bangladesh as a preferable destination for their investment expansion. Mr. Alam said that Chinese investments are usually questioned in other regions of the world but private Chinese businesses are welcomed in Bangladesh.
"Besides a meeting with President Xi Jinping on 28 March, Prof Yunus will receive an honorary doctorate at Peking University," Mr. Alam disclosed. He will also be attending the annual conference of Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) on March 27.
Earlier, Mr. Yunus had a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New York in September 2024 during the UN General Assembly, when Mr. Wang had called him an "old friend of the Chinese people." At that time, Mr. Yunus had urged China to produce solar panels in Bangladesh.
Strategic Implications Amid Global Trade Changes
Mr. Yunus' visit coincides with a major realignment of world trade policies, with U.S. President Donald Trump planning to introduce reciprocal tariffs on April 2, 2025, that could affect the world's largest economies.
Speaking on March 25, 2025, Mr. Yunus stressed Bangladesh's potential as a leading economic power in South Asia, which could support India's northeastern states, Bhutan, and Nepal. He also confirmed that he had accepted an invitation to visit Malaysia.
Geographical positioning has given us economic potential. From Kumira to Teknaf, we have a long seacoast that can accommodate a number of industrial estates and ports. It can change the economic destiny of the area," said Mr. Yunus, propounding Bangladesh as a business-friendly platform for regional economic development.
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