Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Friday said education, rather than physical infrastructure, would serve as the strongest foundation for deeper relations between Bangladesh and China.
Speaking at the opening session of “China-Bangladesh Round Table on Governance Experience Exchange” in Dhaka, the minister said academic cooperation, research and institutional partnerships were becoming key pillars of the growing strategic relationship between the two countries.
“Education will be the construction material to build a bridge between Bangladesh and China,” he said.
The day-long conference was organised by the Centre for China Studies, Dhaka University in collaboration with the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies.
Milon said University of Dhaka had recently signed two memorandums of understanding with Chinese universities to expand cooperation in higher education and research.
He stressed the need to transform Bangladesh’s large population into skilled human resources through quality education and technical training, adding that Chinese expertise in vocational education and industrial development could help Bangladesh build a productive workforce.
Referring to the government’s future plans, the minister said major investments would be made in education with a focus on skills development, technical training and knowledge exchange.
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said relations between the two countries had expanded significantly in areas including education, infrastructure and economic cooperation.
He noted that personnel exchanges were increasing rapidly, with the Chinese Embassy issuing more than 32,000 visas so far this year.
According to the ambassador, the number could exceed 100,000 by year’s end, supported by 45 weekly round-trip flights between Dhaka and various Chinese cities.
Yao Wen also said China was expanding educational cooperation through new Confucius Institutes at University of Rajshahi and University of Chittagong.
He added that four Chinese companies had recently invested nearly $100 million in Bangladesh, creating around 10,000 jobs, while major joint projects such as the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project and the Mongla Port upgrade were progressing.
The conference included discussions on governance, international affairs, artificial intelligence, and river and urban transportation management, with participation from academics, diplomats and policy experts from both countries.
SH
