Stakeholder Workshop on Sustainability Governance of China’s Energy Investment in Bangladesh

Workshop on "Sustainability Governance of China’s Energy Investment in Bangladesh"

The Sustainable Governance of China's Energy Investment (SGAIN), the University of Bath, the University of Dhaka, and the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) jointly organized a day-long stakeholder workshop titled “Sustainability Governance of China’s Energy Investment in Bangladesh” on Saturday, 18 October 2025. The event took place at the Crystal Ballroom, Hotel InterContinental, Dhaka. HE Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Honourable Advisor for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, graced the workshop as the Chief Guest.

The inaugural session commenced with welcome remarks from Dr. Muhammad Badrul Hasan, Lead of SGAIN Bangladesh and Associate Professor at the University of Dhaka, followed by introductory remarks from Major General Iftekhar Anis, BSP, awc, afwc, psc, PEng, Director General of BIISS. Dr. Yixian Sun, Principal Investigator of SGAIN and Associate Professor at the University of Bath, UK, outlined the program's context and expectations. The session also featured high-level addresses from Special Guests Dr. Sayema Haque Bidisha (Pro-Vice Chancellor of Administration, University of Dhaka) and Mr. Jalal Ahmed (Chairman of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission).

The workshop's technical program featured three specialized thematic working sessions:

• Working Session I (Five Decades of Bangladesh-China Relations: Challenges and Opportunities Ahead): Moderated by Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue, this session examined the broader diplomatic and economic history. The panel discussion featured Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed (Executive Director, Center for Alternatives), Mr. Mahbub Uz Zaman (Former Ambassador of Bangladesh to China), Dr. Towfiq M Haque (Director, SIPG, North South University), and Mst Nargis Murshida (Administrator, Bangladesh China Chamber of Commerce and Industries).

• Working Session II (Bilateral Cooperation between China and Bangladesh for Net Zero and Energy Transition): Moderated by Mr. Shafiqul Alam, Lead Analyst at the Institute of Energy and Financial Analysis, this segment focused on cleaner transition pathways. The expert panel included Dr. Ashraful Alam (SREDA), Dr. Md Rafiqul Islam (BPERC), Mr. Alamgir Morshed (Executive Director, IDCOL), Dr. Mahfuz Kabir (Research Director, BIISS), and Mr. Mostafa Al Mahmud (President, Bangladesh Sustainable and Renewable Energy Association).

• Working Session III (China’s Role in Green Industrialization in Bangladesh): Moderated by Dr. AK Enamul Haque, Director General of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, this final session assessed environmentally sustainable economic development. Panellists included Mr. Masud Iqbal Md Shameem (Department of Environment), Mr. Inamul Haq Khan (Senior Vice President, BGMEA), Dr. Deen Islam (Associate Professor, University of Dhaka), and Mr. Nahian Rahman Rochi (Executive Member, BIDA).

The workshop concluded with a comprehensive synthesis of key takeaways and concluding remarks delivered jointly by Dr. Yixian Sun, Dr. Mahfuz Kabir, and Dr. Muhammad Badrul Hasan.

Objectives of the Workshop

• To evaluate bilateral energy cooperation: Reviewing the historical context and five-decade evolution of Bangladesh-China relations to navigate upcoming investment opportunities and strategic challenges.

• To align infrastructure with Net-Zero goals: Exploring collaborative technological and regulatory pathways between Dhaka and Beijing to advance renewable energy capacity and scale up the domestic energy transition.

• To promote green industrialization: Assessing environmental compliance, environmental clearance mechanisms, and investment frameworks to foster eco-friendly growth across major domestic manufacturing sectors like RMG.

• To enhance sustainability governance: Bridging international academic research with actionable regulatory policy by identifying governance benchmarks for large-scale foreign direct investments (FDI).

• To build cross-sectoral multi-stakeholder consensus: Convening government administrators, private trade associations, environmental advocates, finance houses, and researchers to outline unified solutions for sustainable energy governance.