Tarique, Takaichi to meet in Tokyo on 27 Oct

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will hold bilateral talks with his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on 27 October to strengthen bilateral relations, deepen economic partnerships and increase Japanese investment in Bangladesh.

Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam disclosed this at a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, outlining the prime minister’s official visit to Japan from 26 October at the Japanese premier’s invitation.

Tarique will hold bilateral talks with Takaichi, meet JICA’s president and address the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Forum to deepen economic ties and broaden cooperation beyond traditional development assistance. 

On 27 October, he will lead Bangladesh’s delegation at a high-level meeting at the Japanese premier’s office. Takaichi will host a luncheon in his honour.

Asad said Tarique’s four-day Japan visit will focus on infrastructure, investment, trade, development aid and skilled manpower, while raising concerns over rising costs of Japanese-funded projects and loan interest rates. On 27 October, the two prime ministers will discuss Japan’s technical, financing and lending support for infrastructure.

“We want to obtain loans at lower interest rates from all countries,” he told a press briefing at the foreign ministry on Tuesday, responding to a question about the rising costs of Dhaka’s MRT Line-5 and Line-1 projects.

The costs of the two metro rail projects have reportedly increased.

The foreign secretary said that the outcome of discussions on project costs and interest rates would become clear after the negotiations.

Japan has long been one of Bangladesh’s major development partners, providing assistance for large infrastructure projects, including the Dhaka Metro Rail, the Matarbari port and power project, and the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

12 sectors prioritised

Bangladesh is also preparing a proposed $14 billion investment and cooperation package for Japan covering 12 priority sectors for 2026-31, some of which fall under the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B) initiative.

The proposed package includes $3.45 billion for transport and urban connectivity, $3.14 billion for integrated industrial, port and commercial hubs, including the Matarbari hub, $2.22 billion for energy and climate resilience, $1.57 billion for manufacturing, semiconductors and automobiles, and $1.22 billion for agriculture, the blue economy and tourism.

Bangladesh and Japan are discussing around eight memorandums of understanding (MoUs), of which three or four may be signed during the visit, the foreign secretary said.

The proposed agreements may cover several areas of bilateral cooperation, including skilled manpower, technology and other economic and development priorities. 

Expanding employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers in Japan is another potential priority. Bangladesh is interested in sending more trained and skilled workers to Japan to meet demand in sectors facing labour shortages as the country’s population ages.

The two countries signed two memorandums in May 2025 to develop skilled human resources for the Japanese market. A further understanding on sending Bangladeshi workers is also under discussion.

EPA awaits domestic approval

The implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Bangladesh and Japan will also be an important issue as the two countries seek to expand bilateral trade.

The foreign secretary said the agreement had been signed but was yet to complete the necessary domestic procedures in both countries.
It will come into effect after those procedures are completed, he said.

Asked about concerns that Bangladesh’s leather goods exports to Japan could decline by around 10% after the EPA takes effect, Asad Alam Siam said the agreement should be assessed as a whole rather than through the performance of a single product category.

He said the EPA could disadvantage some sectors while benefiting others. Bangladesh hopes to expand exports to Japan and attract investment, with the agreement expected to deepen economic ties.

Matarbari expansion linked to future trade

Regarding the regional significance of the Matarbari port project, the foreign secretary said Matarbari port expansion was conceived to meet Bangladesh’s growing economic, import-export and container-handling needs over the next decade, with future assessments determining whether capacity matches actual demand.

Japan’s support for Matarbari reflects its broader infrastructure engagement in Bangladesh, with the port, industrial facilities and commercial hubs expected to boost trade, connectivity, exports and industrialisation.

The foreign secretary said Bangladesh pursued relations with all countries independently, guided by its national interests and people’s welfare, not comparisons. Cooperation with Japan spans trade, investment, energy security, green energy, defence, technology and human resource development.

At the seventh Bangladesh-Japan Foreign Office Consultations in Dhaka on 12 August, both sides discussed these issues and the EPA. Japan’s Senior Deputy Foreign Minister Hiroyuki Namazu conveyed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s invitation to Tarique Rahman to visit Japan, while Bangladesh invited her to Dhaka at a mutually convenient time.