China to Send Experts for Teesta Project Assessment

Chinese ambassador in Bangladesh, Yao Wen. File photo

Bangladesh has requested China’s support, including a $550 million loan, to implement the Teesta Masterplan, a flagship river management and restoration project.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen told Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam on Monday that China is keen to participate and will send a team of technical experts in the coming months to conduct an on-site assessment.

Ambassador Yao highlighted China’s strong interest in the project, a stance welcomed by the Bangladesh government. Discussions between Bangladesh’s Economic Relations Division (ERD) and China regarding the loan are already underway.

The meeting also covered updates on initiatives discussed during Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus’s recent visit to China, including Chinese-financed hospital construction and other development projects. China also reiterated its invitation for Bangladesh to join President Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative (GGI).

Yao noted that Chinese investment in Bangladesh since the July uprising has exceeded $800 million, the highest in this period.

Following the Chief Adviser’s visit in March, the interim government moved to accelerate the Teesta project. In May, the Ministry of Water Resources informed the Planning Commission of its intention to seek Chinese financing, and in July the ERD formally requested the $550 million loan for the first phase of the project.

The estimated cost for phase one is $750 million, with the remainder to be covered domestically. Work is planned to begin in 2026 and conclude by 2029. Both China and India have previously expressed interest, though the former Awami League government had preferred Indian participation.