Business Desk:
The inauguration ceremony of a 15-week Chinese Language Training Course for officials of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), and Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) was held on Monday afternoon (26 January 2026) at the BIDA Conference Room. The program has been jointly organized by BIDA and the Confucius Institute of North South University.
The event, held at 3:30 pm at the BIDA Conference Room (Level-2), was chaired by Mr. Mohammad Humayun Kabir, Executive Member of BIDA, while Mr. Maruful Alam, Director of BIDA, moderated the session. As part of the inaugural proceedings, a documentary video highlighting the achievements and progress of cooperation between Bangladesh and China was screened.
Speaking at the event, Professor Bulbul Ashraf Siddiqi, Local Director of the Confucius Institute at North South University, said that institutional knowledge of the Chinese language and culture would enable Bangladeshi officials to communicate more effectively with Chinese investors, thereby strengthening bilateral investment and economic cooperation.
Mr. Li Shaopeng, Cultural Counsellor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Bangladesh, stated that the relationship between Bangladesh and China is long-standing, friendly, and multi-dimensional. He added that language education would further deepen this relationship and open new avenues for future cooperation.
Professor Abdur Rob Khan, Treasurer of North South University, noted that the Confucius Institute has been working for years to promote Chinese language and culture in Bangladesh. He emphasized that this course would make a significant contribution to the practical skill development of government officials.
In his presidential address, Mr. Mohammad Humayun Kabir, Executive Member of BIDA, said that trade and investment relations between Bangladesh and China are steadily expanding. In this context, acquiring basic proficiency in the Chinese language would add a new dimension to investment facilitation and communication with investors.
Also present at the event were Mr. Xia Daojing, Third Secretary of the Chinese Embassy; Ms. Ma Xiaoyan, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute; and Chinese language teachers Mr. Huang Xinran and Ms. Li Yuanxi.
Following the inauguration ceremony, the first class of the Chinese Language Course commenced at 4:00 pm at BIDA’s Training Room-1 (Level-1). A total of 38 officials are participating in the program, including 30 from BIDA, 4 from BEZA, and 4 from BEPZA. The 15-week training program will be conducted every Sunday and Wednesday from 4:00 pm to 5:40 pm.
