Tokyo eyes fresh momentum in economic co-op

Japan expects Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit to deepen bilateral understanding, strengthen the two countries’ strategic partnership and give fresh momentum to economic cooperation, particularly in investment, infrastructure development and business confidence.

The Prime Minister will pay an official visit to Japan from tomorrow to 29 October at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The two governments formally announced the visit on 20 October.

During the visit, Tarique Rahman will hold high-level bilateral talks with Takaichi at her office in Tokyo on Tuesday. The Japanese prime minister will also host a luncheon in his honour, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam told a media briefing at the Foreign Ministry.

“Japan welcomes Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s first visit to Japan as prime minister,” the Economic Section of the Embassy of Japan in Dhaka said in response to a BSS query on Tokyo’s expectations from the visit.

Japan hopes the visit will advance cooperation towards regional peace and security and shared prosperity, while giving the two countries an opportunity to reaffirm common priorities and discuss how bilateral cooperation can better support Bangladesh’s development objectives.

Investment and business confidence

On the economic front, Japan said investor sentiment was improving in response to the new government’s pro-business policies.

“We also attach importance to improving the investment environment, advancing infrastructure cooperation and strengthening human and institutional capacity,” the embassy’s Economic Section said.

The prime minister is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Forum and meet Japanese business leaders to discuss investment opportunities, trade and industrial cooperation. 

His tentative programme also includes meetings with representatives of the Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship League and the Japan-Bangladesh Committee for Commercial and Economic Cooperation.

Meetings are also being planned with the presidents of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the chairman of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

The proposed itinerary includes visits to an LNG terminal and power plant in Futtsu, Chiba, the headquarters of UNIQLO and a Toyota factory in Nagoya.

A major focus of the visit will be attracting fresh Japanese investment, expanding bilateral trade and accelerating ongoing development projects.

The two sides are expected to discuss effective implementation of the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), signed in February 2026, and ways to expand access for Bangladeshi products to the Japanese market. The Foreign Secretary said memorandums of understanding or cooperation agreements in areas including agriculture, fisheries, human resource development, skills enhancement, civil aviation, trade, environmental conservation and local government modernisation could be announced during the visit.

Detailed discussions are also planned on Japanese support for establishing factories in Bangladesh, generating employment and developing human resources in line with the prime minister’s priorities.

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Wider regional issues

Beyond bilateral economic issues, the two sides are expected to discuss regional and international peace and stability, a sustainable and peaceful solution to the Rohingya crisis, and stronger cooperation in addressing the energy crisis.

Japan said the visit would provide an opportunity to discuss ways to address investment-related challenges, reinforce business confidence and lay a sound foundation for future economic initiatives.

It also emphasised the importance of effective follow-up to high-level discussions so that shared priorities and commitments translate into practical benefits for both countries.

Japan particularly welcomed progress in ongoing cooperation, saying tangible improvements in existing initiatives would help strengthen business confidence and encourage further investment.

Long-standing development partnership

Japan has been a major development partner of Bangladesh since the country’s independence, supporting infrastructure and human resource development, as well as capacity building.

Its cooperation includes major projects such as Dhaka’s metro rail, the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and infrastructure development at Matarbari.

The visit is expected to provide fresh impetus to the Strategic Partnership established in 2023, with investment, trade, infrastructure, technology transfer and human resource development remaining central to the two countries’ shared economic priorities.