Chinese loans and investments in Bangladesh

The Chinese government, as a part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), invested huge amounts in the form of loans in Bangladesh. However, there is a real danger that Bangladesh might fall into a Chinese debt trap. For example, a few years ago Sri Lanka had to give control of the newly-built Hambantota port to the Chinese in order to compensate for the inability to pay back their debt. There are other countries as well which are likely to fall into the same trap.  

According to a report, China had pledged an investment of USD 38 billion in Bangladesh for BRI projects. Although the investment is vital for economic growth, our government must be careful in taking such loans from China and also try to diversify the sources of investment so that Bangladesh is not solely dependent on Chinese investment for economic growth and development.