China Bangladesh Photo: VCG

In recent days, a new group of Bangladeshi youth and women representatives has emerged as a notable force in China-Bangladesh people-to-people exchanges. Many of them come from the youth wings of political parties or social movements. They are "development scouts" who have come to China in search of solutions to the pressing development challenges facing their own country.

This energetic delegation visited Chongqing and Shanghai from June 5 to June 13. Their packed itinerary offered a glimpse into many facets of China's development. Looking into their eyes, one could almost see their hopes and aspirations for Bangladesh's future taking shape.

Jannatul Nawrin Urmi, assistant general secretary of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Central Committee, said that her previous impression of China had largely been shaped by media reports emphasizing the country's scale and speed of development.

"What actually struck me was the orderliness beneath that speed," she said. "I was impressed by how seamlessly high-tech systems, such as QR code-based street vending, coexist with traditional community life."

She said the Shanghai Youth Management College left the strongest impression on her. There, she observed a structured and modern system for cultivating young political leaders. "Youth can be transformed into skilled leaders through systematic training, not just rhetoric," she said. "Strong organizational frameworks help channel young people's energy into nation-building."

What is noteworthy is that these young Bangladeshi elites have shown a keen ability to identify the underlying drivers behind China's development success - order, systematic planning, and refined governance - as well as a remarkable capacity to draw lessons from China's experience for their own country's development.

While visiting a manufacturing park, the delegation learned how a textile factory shared logistics and energy-recycling systems with a nearby electronics assembly plant. Urmi noted that the experience resonated with her, given that Bangladesh is the world's second-largest garment manufacturing hub.

"The moment I thought, 'Bangladesh needs this,' was when a factory manager explained how they use real-time data dashboards to reduce electricity waste by 18 percent without slowing production," she said. 

Urmi also highlighted another three practices that impressed her: community-based waste sorting programs with door-to-door incentive systems, digital "grid management" in which each neighborhood has a dedicated liaison officer who uses a city app to resolve complaints within 24 hours, and the creation of small green public spaces on former industrial sites through community participation.

For Bangladesh, this practical perspective offers an invaluable source of cross-national learning. The most transferable aspect of China's development experience is its governance logic, featured by low costs, practical implementation, and strong organizational capacity.

After observing how automation, AI, and digital management make production processes faster and more environmentally friendly - and how, at the same time, employees receive continuous training and research opportunities to enhance their skills during his China tour - Arafat Billah Khan, former Assistant Training Affairs Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of Jubodal, said he believes Bangladesh also needs stronger connections between industry, academia, and research institutions.

The strong interest these young Bangladeshis have shown in issues such as vocational education and digital governance, reflects a broader pragmatic shift among the country's next generation of elites. Their priorities suggest a growing focus on practical solutions and institution-building.

If China-Bangladesh people-to-people exchanges continue to focus on this triangle of "youth, skills, and governance," they will help cultivate a new generation of Bangladeshis with a deeper understanding of China. More importantly, such exchanges can strengthen China-Bangladesh cooperation within the framework of South-South cooperation, enabling China to contribute valuable development insights and practical experience to Bangladesh's modernization.

The author is deputy director of the News Desk of the Global Times. The article was originally published in the Times of Bangladesh. chenqingqing@globaltimes.com.cn