Talking about Prospects of Learning Chinese

Fourteen years ago, on 21 September 2012, I wrote an article titled “Motivation to Learn Chinese Language.” I argued in the write-up that the ability to speak Bengali, English and Chinese could become a valuable combination for Bangladeshis in education, employment, business and international engagement. At that time, however, no newspaper agreed to publish the article, either in English or Bengali. I mention this today not as a complaint, but because the situation has changed remarkably. The idea that seemed premature in 2012 is now becoming increasingly relevant to Bangladesh’s education, skills development and employment policies.

My own journey with the Chinese language began much earlier. In 1988, while serving in the Bangladesh Army, I went to China to study the language. Since my retirement in 2008, I have devoted much of my time to promoting Chinese-language education and Bangladesh-China relations. I have personally taught Chinese to more than 3,500 learners from Bangladesh and other countries. Over the years, I have seen many of those learners find employment using Chinese, often with better remuneration; others have used the language successfully in business and other professions, while many have gone to China for higher studies too. These experiences have convinced me that Chinese is not merely an additional language--it can be a practical career skill, especially for Bangladeshi people.

The global picture supports this experience. Chinese is now one of the world’s most widely learned foreign languages. More than 200 million people worldwide have been reported to be learning Chinese, and Chinese has been incorporated into the education systems of dozens of countries. The HSK Chinese-proficiency testing network now extends across a large part of the world. This is no longer a language learned only by diplomats, China specialists or scholars; it is increasingly helping common learners in their education, employment, business and communications. For Bangladesh, the opportunity is particularly important.

China is one of Bangladesh’s most important economic and development partners. Chinese companies are involved in infrastructure, power, construction, manufacturing, telecommunications, transport and other sectors. As these activities expand, the demand for Bangladeshis who can communicate effectively in Chinese is also increasing.

I was fortunate to be present at the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) validation workshop on Chinese-language competency standards and the Course Accreditation Document on 25 August 2026, where I personally heard Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh H.E. Yao Wen speak. His message was especially significant. He said that more than 100,000 Bangladeshis are learning Chinese and emphasised that Chinese-language ability should be combined with technical and vocational skills. He further pointed out that skilled Bangladeshis with Chinese-language proficiency could work not only in Chinese companies in Bangladesh but also in Chinese projects in other countries.

This opens a much bigger horizon. Bangladesh is one of the world’s major suppliers of manpower. We should now aim to send abroad not only workers, but skilled workers who possess an additional international language. A Bangladeshi technician, engineer, electrician, construction supervisor, IT professional, hospitality worker or business executive who can communicate in Chinese can potentially compete for opportunities associated with Chinese enterprises in Bangladesh and overseas.

This has a natural connection with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China’s growing international economic engagement. Wherever Chinese companies work on infrastructure, industry, logistics or other projects, communication between Chinese and local professionals is essential. Chinese-speaking Bangladeshi professionals could therefore become part of a much larger international employment market.

Bangladesh could even aspire to become a regional hub for Chinese-language and skills training for overseas employment. There is now strong official momentum behind this idea. During Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to China in June 2026, Bangladesh and China signed agreements covering a range of areas, including education and vocational cooperation. 

These developments represent a major change from 2012. What was then largely an idea advocated by individuals has now begun to receive serious policy attention. Bangladesh also does not have to start from zero. Chinese-language education has been promoted for years by universities, Confucius Institutes and classrooms, private academies and community organisations. Among the private and voluntary initiatives, Zhong Meng Chinese Academy (ZMCA) has been providing Chinese education through residential, offline and online programmes, while Yi Dai Yi Lu Chinese Academy and other institutions have also contributed to the spread of Chinese learning. We Speak Chinese Club Bangladesh Limited (WSCC) has promoted Chinese-language learning for years. These initiatives deserve encouragement, but Bangladesh needs a much larger and better-coordinated national effort. 

The experiences of our Asian neighbours are instructive. India has introduced Mandarin in selected schools and universities and continues to maintain Chinese-language programmes despite the complexities of its relationship with China. Pakistan has developed Chinese-language programmes through universities and Confucius Institutes, including degree and professional courses. Sri Lanka has expanded Chinese teaching and teacher training in schools, while Nepal and Myanmar have increasingly linked Chinese learning with tourism, industry and employment. Thailand has long developed Chinese-language education connected with business and higher education.

The Western experience also deserves attention. For many years, universities and schools in the United States, Britain, Australia and other Western countries actively encouraged Mandarin because of China’s growing economic and global importance. The important lesson for Bangladesh is that language education becomes sustainable when it is connected to real educational, professional and economic opportunities.

Another emerging area is medical tourism. As medical cooperation between Bangladesh and China expands, more Bangladeshis may travel to China for specialised treatment. The easier the communication becomes, the more comfortable and efficient medical travel can be.

Chinese should be properly incorporated into the country’s third-language strategy, with students allowed to connect language learning with their future careers. This language should also be taught alongside professional skills--Chinese plus engineering, Chinese plus construction, Chinese plus tourism, Chinese plus healthcare, Chinese plus IT and Chinese plus business.

We need more trained Bangladeshi Chinese-language teachers, recognised certification, modern teaching materials, scholarships, exchange programmes and opportunities for language immersion in China. China can support Bangladesh through teachers, teacher-training programmes, scholarships, digital resources, language laboratories, curriculum development and cooperation between Chinese universities and Bangladeshi educational and technical institutions. The question for Bangladesh is no longer whether we should learn Chinese. The question is whether we are prepared to act now-- or wait another fourteen years.

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The writer is a Professor, retired Infantry officer of the Bangladesh Army, and an analyst of Bangladesh-China relations.  He can be reached at [email protected]