Bangladesh a possible major beneficiary of BRI!

Bangladesh is one of the three key countries that are expected to be the biggest beneficiaries of China-led $1.5 trillion ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI), reports Tokyo-based Nomura.

Bangladesh, it says, is set to receive total investment of $38 billion, equivalent to 15 per cent of its 2017 gross domestic product (GDP), under the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Corridor, which is aimed at improving land, rail, water and air interconnection among the four countries.

Malaysia and Pakistan are the two other countries that would gain most from the Chinese initiative, according to the 17 April report from Nomura Group. It was published by Asia Asset Management, a journal of investment and pensions.

The BRI is a development strategy by the Chinese government involving multiple mega-infrastructure projects to improve connectivity between China and neighbouring regions such as South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Europe.

"However, China and countries receiving investments from China are exposed to multiple risks," said the report.

It added, "For the recipients, an increased debt burden, sovereignty issues, execution delays and balance-of-payment risks could come to the fore."