March 1, 2023
DHAKA – Bangladesh and Japan have agreed to work towards building a strategic relationship, and there may be agreement on this during the upcoming visit of Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina to Japan, likely by the end of April this year.
The issues were discussed during the foreign office consultation (FOC) held in Tokyo today. Foreign Secretary Ambassador Masud Bin Momen and Japanese Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Shigeo Yamada led the two sides in the meeting in Tokyo.
They discussed comprehensively the bilateral relations, and regional and global issues. Bangladesh Ambassador Shahabuddin Ahmed and other senior officials from the two countries also attended the meeting.
As part of building stronger bonds, Japan suggested partnering with Bangladesh in further developing the southern Chattogram area centring on the Matarbari Infrastructure Development Initiative (MIDI) project in the context of connectivity.
Both sides agreed that these projects should be built under Japan’s Big-B initiative. Bangladesh hoped that these projects will bring more Japanese investments.
Both sides discussed issues of bilateral relations in trade, investment, agriculture, ICT and high-tech industries, blue economy, health, human resource development, capacity development in maritime security, disaster management and defence cooperation.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen expressed his gratitude for Japan’s Covid-related assistance to Bangladesh and direct budgetary support for the next couple of years.
Japanese Senior Deputy Minister assured that Japan will continue to support all development projects of Bangladesh related to connectivity. Masud Bin Momen appraised Biman Bangladesh’s plan to resume its flights to Tokyo in the running year — an idea welcomed by Japan.