Tarique-Takaichi Meeting Productive: Humayun Kabir
The bilateral meetings held during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s four-day state visit to Japan have been productive, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir said.
He made the remarks at a press conference at the Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Humayun Kabir said the prime minister had a busy second day of his visit. His engagements included a formal bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at her office, a guard of honour, a joint press briefing and a luncheon.
Additional Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Atikur Rahman Rumon and Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin were present at the press conference.
Highlighting the key outcomes of the summit, Humayun Kabir said Japanese private-sector companies had expressed interest in investing around $6.3 billion in Bangladesh, which is expected to create approximately 200,000 jobs.
The two leaders agreed to expedite the implementation of the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
He said Bangladesh had sought a three-year extension of the deadline for graduating from the least developed country (LDC) category, citing the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and global crises, as well as corruption during the previous government’s 15-year tenure. Japan was considering the request positively, he added.
The acting foreign minister said discussions had focused on Japanese-funded infrastructure development, particularly investment in the energy sector, the establishment of a technology city and elevated expressway management. The Bangladesh government also stressed the need to establish a joint ministerial committee and a regular progress review mechanism.
On the Rohingya crisis, he said Japan’s special envoy and the country’s assurance of cooperation had been discussed. Bangladesh also plans to raise the issue strongly at the upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Humayun Kabir said the prime minister attended an official luncheon hosted by his Japanese counterpart after the summit and joint press briefing. He later visited an LNG terminal in Japan and Chiba Logistics Hub, described as one of the world’s leading logistics hubs.
The visits would provide valuable experience for developing LNG terminals and modern logistics systems in Bangladesh, he added.
Responding to journalists’ questions, the state minister said special training and Japanese-language education programmes had been emphasised to help Bangladeshi students compete in Japan’s job market and overcome language barriers.
Asked whether any agreements or memorandums of understanding had been signed during the meeting, Humayun Kabir said the discussions had focused mainly on policy and strategy. Detailed official updates would be provided later, he added.
