Japanese ambassador in Dhaka Ito Naoki on Monday said that Bangladesh, located in the Bay of Bengal, is a “vital country in geopolitical terms” and it needs to utilize its geographical advantage to increase economic opportunities fully.
“In this regard, Japan has been developing Bangladesh's first deep-sea port in Matarbari, south of Chittagong which constitutes the "Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (so-called Big-B),". The new port and the economic zone will become hubs of "Logistics," "Power & Energy," and "Waterfront Industry" in Bangladesh and the region,” he said.
The ambassador was speaking at a seminar jointly organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh on “Geopolitics of Indo-Pacific and Reconnecting the Bay of Bengal Littorals” at the BIISS auditorium as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Bangladesh.
Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Foreign Affairs Muhammad Faruk Khan, MP was present as the chief guest.
The ambassador said JICA, Japan’s development arm, is implementing several large-scale infrastructure projects under the BIG-B.
For example, in December this year, Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line 6 will start its commercial operation, and Bangladesh Special Economic Zone in Araihazar, the first economic zone developed by Japan will also be ready for international investment.
“Japan promotes various practical cooperation, including anti-terrorism, disaster prevention, and maritime safety. Japan granted 24 rescue boats to the Bangladesh Coast Guard last December and started a training program on "Coast Guard Policy" for Bangladesh Coast Guard officers,” he said.
Japan pursues a “Free and Open Indo- Pacific” (FOIP) that will ensure a rule-based international order to bring peace, stability, and prosperity for every country in the region.
In this regard, Bangladesh is the country that recognise the importance of rule-based maritime order and shares its value with Japan and other like-minded countries, he added.
The Ambassador highly praises Bangladesh's efforts for sheltering the displaced Rohingyas of Myanmar.
He said that Japan supports the government's relocation policy of refugees to Bhasan Char and committed to provide US $2 million as the first donor to UNHCR and WFP for their operation in Bhasan Char.
He also said that we should all work towards the enabling environment for the Rohingyas early repatriation to Myanmar.
He concluded by reiterating the strongest ties between Bangladesh and Japan in this occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Bangladesh-Japan diplomatic relationship.
Muhammad Faruk Khan MP said that the term “Indo-Pacific” received much currency when the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described it as the “Confluence of the two seas” in 2007.
He expressed his expectation that counties such as Japan can play a more active role in ensuring peace and stability in this region as Japan is a forerunner of the concept of “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.
Faruk Khan strongly believed that Bangladesh and other littorals of the Bay of Bengal want to cooperate than to antagonise each other.
Besides, he mentioned about the forcibly displaced Rohingyas that may increase security threats in the Indo Pacific region.
To resolve the Rohingya Crisis, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also sought support from Japan’s current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for the peaceful repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland- Myanmar, He added.
Chairman of the BIISS board of governance Ambassador Kazi Imtiaz Hossain, and BIISS Director General Major General Mohammad Maksudur Rahman also spoke.
Professor Imtiaz Ahmed of the Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka, presented a paper on “The changing Nature of Geopolitics: Making sense of Bangladesh’s Position”.
Professor Kikuchi Tsutomu, Professor of International Political Economy, Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan, made a presentation on “Beyond US-China Relations: Japan’s Strategic Vision for the Indo-Pacific“, Professor Lailufar Yasmin, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka deliberated on “The Rise of the Indo-Pacific: Bangladesh-Japan Relations”, and Professor Takahara Akio, Professor of Graduate School of Public Policy, The University of Tokyo, presented on “FOIP and Maritime Cooperation: Japan’s Initiative”.
In his address, Major General Maksud described the importance of Indo-pacific region as the “central determinant” of global peace and prosperity in the near future as well as the hub of 21st century’s economic opportunities.
“As Bangladesh is envisioning to be a developed country in 2041, therefore, maritime resources are considered to be a major source of development and growth after the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes with India and Myanmar,” he added.
Professor Imtiaz Ahmed said that it is the humans who create geopolitics and as long as a region has resources, it will attract attention.
He highlighted that Bangladesh has done tremendously well in terms of both economic and human developments after the independence.
He also highlighted Bangladesh's unique feature in terms of being a people's republic, having a liberation war and a foreign policy that is amicable towards all.
He also talked about Bangladesh's position in the geopolitical race in Indo- Pacific and noted that Bangladesh has no enemy.
Professor Kikuchi Tsutomu, Professor of International Political Economy, Aoyama Gakuin University, & Adjunct Senior fellow, Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), said that Japan had been pursuing to implement its “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy for a rule-based international order. Japan is pursuing three pillars to establish rule-based order in this region: strengthening the alliance with the US; moving Southward to construct networks with new alignments (bilateral, trilateral, quadrilateral, and regional) with the countries and institutions in the Indo-Pacific; and constructive engagement with China. He also expressed that Bangladesh, which is located on the strategic trade route of the Indo-Pacific, is a very important country for the realization of Japan's Indo-Pacific vision.
