PM Tarique Rahman to Visit Tokyo on 26 October; 5–6 MoUs May Be Signed at Summit with Takaichi

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will travel to Tokyo on 26 October on a bilateral visit at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The two leaders will hold a bilateral meeting in Tokyo on 27 October. During the visit, five to six memoranda of understanding (MoUs) may be signed between the two countries, though no treaty is likely to be signed, diplomatic sources say.

Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the prime minister’s Tokyo visit will run from 26 to 29 October. The visit is expected to focus on reviewing progress in investment expansion, infrastructure and development projects, and manpower exports. Beyond development assistance and economic cooperation, the visit is also expected to add a broader geopolitical dimension to the relationship.

Diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Tokyo say Bangladesh may seek $2 billion in assistance from Japan during the visit to cope with the pressure the global energy crisis has placed on its economy. Dhaka will also give importance to reducing the financing costs of Japanese infrastructure projects in Bangladesh. Trade, investment, tourism and human resources may also receive attention.

Tokyo, for its part, is expected to signal that it wants to take all forms of cooperation with the current government further under the framework of the “strategic partnership”. Japan will also want Bangladesh by its side as an important partner in implementing the updated Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision.

The relationship between the two countries currently stands at the level of a “strategic partnership”, and this visit will not elevate it to another tier. However, the sources say Dhaka and Tokyo have agreed to add new wording to describe the dimension of the relationship. A responsible government official said: “The prime minister will visit Japan next week. The two prime ministers will hold a bilateral meeting during the visit and discuss various aspects of the relationship. We hope several MoUs will be signed between the two countries after their meeting. Five to six MoUs are under discussion. The Bangladesh–Japan relationship is at the level of a ‘strategic partnership’. Some new words may be added this time to describe the relationship.”

Since forming the government in February this year, Tarique Rahman visited China in June, travelling via Malaysia. Observers see the decision to visit Tokyo after Beijing as the next important step in Bangladesh’s balanced foreign policy.

Several mega projects are being implemented in Bangladesh with Japanese assistance — among them the metro rail development, the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and the Matarbari integrated development initiative. But the government is concerned about the interest rates on Japanese loans, which Japan has been raising steadily. The government wants the rates lowered, since higher rates would push up project costs.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir recently said the main priorities of the Japan visit would be strengthening bilateral relations, deepening the economic partnership and increasing investment. Describing Japan as one of Bangladesh’s largest and longest-standing development partners, he said Japanese investment in several mega projects in the country has strengthened the relationship. Detailed discussions will be held during the visit on new opportunities in trade, development cooperation and investment.

Even before the prime minister’s Tokyo visit, Bangladesh has signed an important employment-related agreement with Japan. On 17 October the two countries signed the “Memorandum of Cooperation on Employment Skills Development” (ESDP-MoC). Under this agreement, Japan will begin recruiting Bangladeshi workers from 1 April next year. Copies of the agreement will be formally exchanged between the two sides during the prime minister’s visit.

The ESDP-MoC has an initial term of five years; at the end of the term it will automatically be extended for another five years, giving the agreement an overall duration of 10 years. Under it, the protection of Bangladeshi workers will be ensured, cooperation between the two countries in sending and receiving workers will be strengthened, and opportunities for skills development through employment will be created.

The momentum in the relationship has been visible in recent months as well. In February this year, Bangladesh and Japan signed an agreement on the transfer of defence equipment and technology, and the Japan–Bangladesh Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) was signed in the same period. In development cooperation, infrastructure projects such as the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), the third terminal of Dhaka’s international airport and the Matarbari deep seaport development are among Japan’s priority initiatives under the “Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt” (BIG-B) concept.

The preparations for the visit have a long trail too. In late April, Japan’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Norikazu Suzuki, visited Dhaka, met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and handed him a letter written by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Later, at the Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) — the foreign-secretary-level dialogue platform held in Dhaka in August — Tarique Rahman’s Japan visit was discussed. The dates of the Tokyo visit were subsequently finalised through discussions between the two sides. All eyes are now on the 27 October summit and the MoUs expected to be signed there.