Dhaka: Reduced medical visas for Bangladeshis by India, again, created a void in the region for China to come and enhance its bootprint. It has been reported that Bangladesh has issued less than 1,000 medical visas annually in 2023 for India, which has traditionally been considered as a big medical destination for Bangladeshis due to its cheaper health care, as a decrease from about 5,000 to 7,000 such visas annually before the recent years. This reduction is attributed to shortage of staff and cooling off bilateral ties after political changes in Bangladesh.
This would indeed mean that the number of Bangladeshis who opted to go abroad for medical treatment has increased; some people went to China and other countries like Thailand. This has availed China to promote its growing medical tourism, with the most recent trip of a Bangladeshi delegation to explore healthcare options in Yunnan province. In addition, China increases investment in Bangladesh every day; the interim government under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took office in August 2023. Since then, China has invested about $230 million in Bangladesh, surpassing all other countries within that time frame.
This creates further tension between India and Bangladesh because by restricting the medical visas, it has acted as the alienation for both the Bangladeshi government and its people. The relationship further deteriorates as India refuses to bundle in such an issue to return the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for trial to Bangladesh.
At the same time, China is upping its involvement by mulling over opening a friend hospital in Dhaka and making its medical services more accessible. With this emerging penchant for China's healthcare and investment options, the people and government of Bangladesh begin distancing themselves from India and falling into the will of its rival.
[Source Credit: Reuters]
