Longi to light up Bangladesh with solar investment
Longi, the world’s largest solar panel maker, is set to establish an office and manufacturing plant in Bangladesh, Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen announced on Sunday, March 16.
The move follows a December visit by top Chinese solar firms, spurred by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus’s invitation to relocate here and transform Bangladesh into an economic powerhouse.
Speaking at the State Guest House Jamuna, Yao Wen told Yunus, “At least two firms, including Longi, have committed to setting up offices and plants. They’ll invest soon.”
The ambassador credited the post-August 5 shift—after Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic regime fell—for making Chinese firms the country’s top investors.
“Dozens more are queuing up, with a dedicated Chinese export processing zone nearing launch,” he added.
Yao Wen hailed Yunus’s upcoming trip to China, his first bilateral foreign tour as Chief Adviser, as the “most important” in 50 years of “trustworthy” friendship.
Set for late March, Yunus will meet President Xi Jinping on the 28th, culminating in a joint statement. He’ll also speak at the Boao Forum—Asia’s answer to Davos—on “Asia in a Changing World: Towards a Shared Future,” alongside China’s executive vice premier, and receive an honorary doctorate from Peking University, where he’ll address students.
Yunus welcomed the solar surge, pitching Bangladesh as a prime manufacturing base for exports to the West. “We can be a top hub,” he said, before urging Chinese hospital chains to invest.
“Bangladesh needs massive healthcare investment—build top clinics or partner with locals. The opportunity is now.”
Yao Wen noted four hospitals in Kunming, China, are already reserved for Bangladeshi patients, with a group treated there last week.
Longi’s decision marks a bright spot in Bangladesh’s economic reset. With Chinese investment flowing and diplomatic ties deepening, Yunus’s vision—and his China visit—could power a new era of growth, from solar fields to hospital wards.