Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has met with a delegation from the China-Bangladesh Partnership Forum, stressing that cooperation between the two nations must continue regardless of the upcoming change in government.
During the meeting held at the State Guest House Jamuna, the chief adviser shared his vision of establishing a “health city” in the northern region of Bangladesh.
The proposed hub would include a 1,000-bed international hospital, medical colleges, research centres, vaccine production facilities, and medical equipment hubs. Yunus noted that the location is strategically situated to serve not only Bangladeshis but also people from India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
The delegation featured senior Chinese academics, investors, and industry leaders from the biomedical, infrastructure, digital, and legal sectors. Key members included Xin-yuan Fu, director of the West China School of Medicine at Sichuan University; Jinsong Wang, vice president of the Robotics Society of Singapore; and senior representatives from Walvax Biotechnology, China State Construction Engineering Corporation, and PowerChina Overseas Investment Group, among others.
Yunus identified healthcare as the interim government’s highest priority, particularly the integration of digital technology to preserve medical histories and facilitate doctor-patient connections. He further advocated for a social business model in the pharmaceutical sector to curb high costs, stating that medicines often cost “pennies to produce, yet are sold for dollars”.
Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, the chief adviser criticised the global resistance to patent-free vaccines. “People were dying while others were making money. This is a shame,” he said, reiterating that Bangladesh seeks self-reliance rather than gifts.
Addressing the political transition, Yunus remarked, “In a few weeks, I will be out of this office and a new government will form, but the work between our two countries must go on”.
He recalled his long-standing relationship with China, which began through the microcredit movement, and mentioned a March visit where President Xi Jinping told him he had followed the principles outlined in Yunus’s book.
The delegation expressed admiration for the talent of young Bangladeshi students they had engaged with regarding artificial intelligence and digitalisation.
Representatives from Walvax Biotechnology, which has exported vaccines to 22 countries, expressed interest in localising the production of PCV and HPV vaccines in Bangladesh.
Other notable attendees included Yuan Feng of Fordall Law Firm, Li Ran of Beijing Wutong Asset Management, and Alex Wang Zekai, secretary-general of the China-Bangladesh Partnership Forum. Lamiya Morshed, SDG coordinator and senior secretary to the government, was also present.
