Bangladesh has ‘great potential’ to become regional hub: ADB president

New Delhi ( The Indian View team) : Bangladesh has “great potential” to become a regional hub for transportation, logistics, energy and digital connectivity because of its strategic location between South and Southeast Asia, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda has said.

There are also lots of opportunities for growth and economic security,” he said in an interview with The Daily Star during his visit to Dhaka. During his two-day stay, he met with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, other senior officials, and private sector leaders.

The ADB president said Bangladesh itself represents a huge market because of its large population, while its geographic position further enhances its prospects of benefiting from regional cooperation.

Regional cooperation was one of the issues he discussed with the prime minister and finance minister, said Kanda, who assumed leadership of the ADB in February 2025.

They recognise that Bangladesh has the ‘great potential’ to benefit from regional cooperation and contribute as a regional hub for transportation, logistics, energy and digital connectivity, he said.