Chinese businesses show growing interest in Chattogram | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Friday
July 11, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
FRIDAY, JULY 11, 2025
Chinese businesses show growing interest in Chattogram

Trade

Abu Sayem
05 July, 2020, 11:00 am
Last modified: 05 July, 2020, 01:42 pm

Related News

  • Three-year-old child dies after falling into open drain in Chattogram
  • 3 restaurants, 2 pharmacies in Chattogram fined Tk76,000 for consumer rights violations
  • Navy chief visits Ctg port's NCT, emphasises efficiency and discipline
  • Two tourists missing, feared dead at restricted Melkhum Trail in Mirsharai
  • 7 emergency shelters opened in Ctg amid landslide risks fueled by heavy rains

Chinese businesses show growing interest in Chattogram

All 3 companies with FDIs are from China, and Chinese companies have also registered for joint investment with many Bangladeshi companies

Abu Sayem
05 July, 2020, 11:00 am
Last modified: 05 July, 2020, 01:42 pm
Representational image. Illustartion: TBS
Representational image. Illustartion: TBS

Chinese businesses are showing increasingly greater interest in Chattogram, considering the geographical advantage of the port city. Factors like the duty-free access China recently granted to 5,161 additional Bangladeshi products must also be taken into account.

Registration data from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) show a clearer picture of the phenomenon.

Eleven foreign and joint-venture (foreign and local) companies had registered investments of only Tk52.7 crore in Chattogram during FY2018-19. But in FY2019-20, twelve such companies registered investments worth Tk735.6 crore, an increase of Tk682.9 crore in just one year.

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

All three companies with foreign direct investments (FDI) are from China, and Chinese companies also registered with BIDA for joint investment with many Bangladeshi companies.

Experts believe that Chinese investment in Chattogram would have increased even more in the past three months had circumstances not been interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to economists and international relations analysts, If Bangladesh manages to increase its trade with China to at least $1 billion per year by using the duty free facility, Chinese investment in Bangladesh will go up even further.

They are optimistic that due to geographical advantages in Chattogram and the presence of the special economic zone for China, investments from Beijing will continue to rise.

Speaking to The Business Standard, Bida's Chattogram Director Mohammad Yasin said, "Foreign investors across the globe put utmost importance on the ease of doing business in a country. Bangladesh is making steady progress in that field.

"Investments from Chinese companies are increasing due to the Chattogram port being very close to China's special economic zone and also on account of the duty-free access of Bangladeshi products in that country's markets."

Yasin noted, "We could not register a significant number of investment proposals in the last three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. We hope that all kinds of investments will increase after the situation returns to normal."

Commenting on the issue, economist Dr Moinul Islam said, "The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic could last another year. Foreign investments will increase if normalcy returns. But even if FDIs decrease from China, Bangladesh will get them from other countries.

"Besides, if Bangladesh can properly utilise the duty-free access granted to it by China, the country's investments will surely go up."

Aside from the proposed FDI, China and some other countries, among which are Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, have proposed joint investments with Bangladeshi companies.

Bangladesh's Ocean Truck Logistics, in a joint venture with China's Qian Chen Hu and Singapore' Zhu Shiyu, has proposed an investment of Tk9.7 crore for the service industry. Mattel, in a joint venture with Singapore's Zhu Shiyu and Bangladesh's South Teriyal, has proposed an investment of Tk630.6 crore for the recycling and melting industry.

Singapore's Ong Chee Peng, along with Orion Construction, has proposed an investment of Tk10 crore. China's Zheng Changrong, in a joint venture with Deep Dredgers Ltd, has proposed an investment of Tk49.2 crore in the ship building sector.

A Thai company, in a joint venture with CK Fish and Agro Products Ltd, proposed an investment of Tk2.1 crore in the frozen fish and agro product sector. China's Gue Tong Yuan, along with Thian Meng Trade International, plans to invest Tk1 crore in the construction business.

A Saudi company, along with Bangladeshi Saudi Private Ltd, has been showing interest in investing Tk4.2 crore in the poultry sector. The German company Avad, through a joint venture with Bitumen Solution, will invest Tk9.8 crore in the bitumen production sector.

China's Zeng Shida, jointly with the Bangladeshi company Hong De, has proposed an investment of Tk4.7 crore in the construction sector.

Among the foreign direct investment companies, China's Li Xiang has registered to invest Tk7.4 crore in the construction sector. Meanwhile, Chen Xi proposes to invest Tk4.7 crore in the shipping and logistics sector.

Besides, China's Wenta Footwear Ltd has registered with BIDA to invest Tk1.9 crore in the manufacture of footwear in Chattogram.

Responding to a query, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Mahbubul Alam said, "Chattogram is an economic hub. Even if foreigners are interested in investing in the Mirsarai Economic Zone, we must continue to attract more foreign investment from others.

"Foreign investments will increase after the completion of the Anowara Special Economic Zone project. The Bay terminal project must be implemented in the port city as soon as possible to bring in more foreign investments."

Helal Uddin Ahmmed, chairman of the Department of International Relations at the University of Chittagong, said, "China gave duty-free facilities not only to Bangladesh, but to other countries as well.

"But Bangladesh has a geographical advantage, so investments from China and other countries are increasing. It seems like the upward trend in investments will continue to increase in the future."

Economy / Top News

Chinese businesses / Chattogram / Bangladesh-China Trade / Bangladesh-China / Chinese companies / Duty Free Import Export / duty-free / Duty-free market access / Duty-free access / Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) / Foreign Direct Investments (FDI)

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • How tender rules and a lone bidder stall a $2.5b power plant
    How tender rules and a lone bidder stall a $2.5b power plant
  • Bangladesh and US hold tariff talks for second day on 9July 2025. Photo: CA Press Wing
    35% tariff: Bangladesh, US 'reach general consensus on some issues' on second day of talks; final round today
  • BNP senior leader Salahuddin Ahmed. Photo: Collected
    No scope for electoral alliance with Jamaat, door not closed for NCP: BNP's Salahuddin

MOST VIEWED

  • Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin/TBS
    SSC, equivalent results: Pass rate drops to 68.45%, GPA-5 also declines
  • In terms of stream of education, girls maintained their excellence as well. Photo: TBS
    SSC 2025: Girls dominate boys by over 5%
  • Govt vehicle purchase, foreign trip, new building construction banned: Finance ministry
    Govt vehicle purchase, foreign trip, new building construction banned: Finance ministry
  • Students sit for SSC exam at Motijheel Girls' High School on 10 April 2025. Photo: Mehedi Hasan/TBS
    SSC exam results out: Here's how you can check online and via SMS
  • The overall pass rate across all boards this year, 68.45%, is significantly lower than last year's. Photo: Focus Bangla
    SSC 2025: Rajshahi board records highest pass rate, Barishal lowest
  • Representational image. Photo: Collected
    35% tariff: Bangladesh, US 'agree on most issues' as first day of talks ends

Related News

  • Three-year-old child dies after falling into open drain in Chattogram
  • 3 restaurants, 2 pharmacies in Chattogram fined Tk76,000 for consumer rights violations
  • Navy chief visits Ctg port's NCT, emphasises efficiency and discipline
  • Two tourists missing, feared dead at restricted Melkhum Trail in Mirsharai
  • 7 emergency shelters opened in Ctg amid landslide risks fueled by heavy rains

Features

Photo: Collected/BBC

What Hitler’s tariff policy misfire can teach the modern world

17h | The Big Picture
Illustration: TBS

Behind closed doors: Why women in Bangladesh stay in abusive marriages

20h | Panorama
Purbachl’s 144-acre Sal forest is an essential part of the area’s biodiversity. Within it, 128 species of plants and 74 species of animals — many of them endangered — have been identified. Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain/TBS

A forest saved: Inside the restoration of Purbachal's last Sal grove

21h | Panorama
Photo: Rajib Dhar/TBS

11 July 2024: Riot vehicles, water cannons hit the streets as police crack down on protesters

13h | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

India is strengthening ties with Israel

India is strengthening ties with Israel

25m | TBS World
'Hypocrisy' will not continue, Iran tells IAEA

'Hypocrisy' will not continue, Iran tells IAEA

16h | TBS World
OpenAI to release web browser in challenge to Google Chrome

OpenAI to release web browser in challenge to Google Chrome

16h | TBS World
Will the title 'Honorable and Excellency' be abolished?

Will the title 'Honorable and Excellency' be abolished?

17h | TBS Today
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net