Beijing has assured Dhaka it will look into the request to lower the interest rate to ease Bangladesh’s foreign debt repayment pressure

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said today that at her bilateral meeting with the Chinese President on July 10, Xi Jinping mentioned four areas of assistance in grants, interest-free loans, concessional loans and commercial loans

Bangladesh will seek fresh loans amounting to $20 billion during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to China, which Beijing hopes would be a “game changer” in the bilateral relationship.

Talks on Chinese loan proposals will be at the fore during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to Beijing.

Bangladesh is going to seek more than 36 billion yuan, equivalent to $5 billion, as soft loans from China to reduce pressure on its dollar reserves.

One of the development projects undertaken on Chinese loans has been completed while eight others are being implemented in full swing following a prolonged hiatus for the pandemic, said relevant officials and Economic Relations Division (ERD).