China's Belt and Road Initiative: Impact on Bangladesh's Relations with its Neighboring Countries.

The Belt and Road Initiative was inaugurated by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. The Belt and Road Initiative focuses on economic and infrastructural development in different regions of Asia, Africa, and the European continent. By increasing connectivity and cooperation, the Belt and Road Initiative intends to develop the economies of its member states. Bangladesh formally joined this project in October 2016. The Belt and Road Initiative might open some avenues for Bangladesh to improve its relations with its South Asian and Southeast Asian neighboring countries. However, the impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative on Bangladesh's relations with its neighboring countries are less explored in existing research. Therefore, this paper explores and analyzes the possible impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative on the bilateral relationships of Bangladesh with its neighboring countries, particularly with China, India, and Myanmar. This paper argues that Bangladesh may face some opportunities and challenges in bilateral relations with China, India, and Myanmar because Bangladesh joined the Belt and Road Initiative. This paper identifies the key opportunities and challenges for Bangladesh. Some of the possibilities include increased investments, more excellent connectivity, improved trade, and economic development, and some challenges include possible debt burden and increased cross-border illegal activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]