It is good to note that Bangladesh and Japan are set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on trade cooperation, which officials say will act as a precursor to a free trade agreement (FTA). Reportedly, the signing will take place during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Japan visit on November 29-30. It needs to be mentioned that the Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI) recently conducted a survey on 300 companies, local firms and Japanese companies operating in Bangladesh, and found majority of them expecting that the two nations should sign a free-trade deal.
It is encouraging to see that Japanese entrepreneurs are demonstrating more enthusiasm about business and investment opportunities in Bangladesh. We believe our time-tested friend Japan and its people will be with us on our transformative journey to development and prosperity. We hope that in our efforts to cross the threshold from a developing to a developed country, we will have Japan by our side as facilitator in the manner that they have been so far.
The relationships between
Dhaka and Tokyo are going
from strength to strength
Japan is one of the most powerful industrialized nations in the world. The country not only took part in our independence movement but also at the post independent time of Bangladesh. The role Japan has played in Bangladesh’s nation building strategy is a concrete instance of selfless friendship. The friendship that Japan and Bangladesh has been enjoying over the last four decades is rare in today’s world. Friendship between the two countrues was tested in the terror attack in Dhaka in July 2016, which led to the tragic death of seven Japanese nationals. It was during that moment of national anguish and mourning that yet again, the Japanese people and government stood by us and reassured us of Japan’s continued support to Bangladesh’s development.
The relationships between Dhaka and Tokyo are going from strength to strength. The latter is likely to continue to play a crucial role as the single largest bilateral donor and a trusted friend and development partner. It is essential that Tokyo remains actively engaged with Bangladesh in its journey to become a developed nation.