Bangladesh and Japan expect to sign more than four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit to Japan and issue a joint statement outlining the outcomes and future direction of bilateral cooperation.
The proposed documents seek to expand cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, human resource development, skills enhancement, civil aviation, trade, environmental conservation and local government modernization.
The prime minister will undertake the four-day official visit from October 26 to 29 at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi.
Preparations are underway on around eight cooperation documents. The final number to be signed, however, will depend on the completion of negotiations between the two sides.
“We hope that many of these MoUs will be signed during the visit,” Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam said.
The anticipated joint statement is expected to set out the outcomes of the bilateral talks and priorities for advancing the Bangladesh-Japan strategic partnership.
Former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Anwarullah Chowdhury said the proposed agreements could broaden the relationship by connecting Bangladesh’s development priorities with Japan’s industrial experience, technology and institutional expertise.
“Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit offers an important opportunity to give fresh momentum to our longstanding partnership with Japan. The proposed MoUs can create a stronger basis for cooperation in sectors closely linked to production, employment and people’s livelihoods,” he said.
Chowdhury said cooperation in agriculture and fisheries should focus on productivity, processing, preservation and quality management, while skills programs should reflect employers’ needs.
“Language teaching and technical training should advance together. Our objective should be to prepare workers for better employment opportunities while also developing the skilled workforce needed by industries in Bangladesh,” he said.
He stressed the importance of involving local enterprises in Japanese investment initiatives to extend the benefits to domestic suppliers and smaller businesses.
“Alongside large investments, we should encourage partnerships between Japanese medium-sized companies and Bangladeshi entrepreneurs. Such cooperation can help our businesses improve production methods, quality control and management,” he said.
The former vice-chancellor suggested preparing an implementation plan after the visit, identifying responsible agencies, deadlines and arrangements for reviewing progress.
“Signing an MoU is an important beginning. Its lasting value will depend on the investment, jobs, skills and institutional capabilities that follow,” he said.
Under the announced program, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will hold high-level bilateral talks with his Japanese counterpart Takaichi at her office on October 27. The two leaders will lead their respective delegations in the official talks.
The Japanese premier will also host a luncheon in honor of the Bangladesh Prime Minister.
Tarique Rahman is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Forum and meet Japanese business leaders to discuss investment opportunities and commercial partnerships.
His tentative program includes meetings with the Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship League and the chairman of the Japan-Bangladesh Committee for Commercial and Economic Cooperation.
Meetings are also being planned with the president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the president of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).
An engagement with the chairman of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation is also under consideration.
The proposed itinerary includes visits to an LNG terminal and power plant in Chiba and a Toyota factory in Nagoya.
The prime minister will be accompanied by his spouse Dr Zubaida Rahman, ministers, advisers, senior officials and other delegation members. The delegation will travel on Biman Bangladesh Airlines flights.
Beyond the signing program, the visit offers an opportunity to advance the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), signed on February 6 this year, and address practical requirements for expanding trade and investment.
Siam said discussions would focus on implementing the agreement, widening access for Bangladeshi products to the Japanese market and strengthening business engagement.
Infrastructure costs and financing terms will also feature in the talks amid an 83 per cent increase in the cost of Dhaka’s MRT Line-1 and a 113 per cent rise in that of MRT Line-5.
Asked whether the cost increases and lower interest rates on Japanese loans would be discussed, Siam said Bangladesh had sought financing and technical assistance for infrastructure development.
“These infrastructure cooperation issues will certainly come up during the bilateral meeting between the two prime ministers,” he said, adding that discussions would extend beyond metro rail.
“We want to obtain loans at lower interest rates from all countries,” he said, noting that global financing arrangements and country-specific factors would influence the outcome.
Japan supports major projects in Bangladesh, including the metro rail, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s Third Terminal and infrastructure development in Matarbari.
The Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt, or BIG-B, initiative, launched in 2014, provides a framework linking infrastructure, industry and regional connectivity.
Prof Chowdhury said Matarbari and Araihazar offered opportunities to connect infrastructure investment with industrial production, local suppliers and employment.
“Prepared land, reliable electricity and water, transport connections and predictable approval procedures will help turn investor interest into operating businesses,” he added.
Renewable energy, science and technology, digital transformation and human resource development will also feature in the discussions, the foreign secretary said.
Beyond bilateral matters, the two sides will discuss regional and international peace and stability, cooperation in addressing the energy crisis and a sustainable, peaceful solution to the Rohingya crisis.
The visit will seek to build on that longstanding relationship through new cooperation instruments, stronger institutional engagement and expanded economic opportunities.
