PM meets Marubeni chairman in Tokyo, stresses stronger economic partnership with Japan

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has stressed strengthening the economic partnership between Bangladesh and Japan.

The prime minister made the remarks during a courtesy call at 3:45 pm Japan time today at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo by Masumi Kakinoki, president of the Japan-Bangladesh Committee for Commercial and Economic Cooperation (JBCCEC) and chairman of Marubeni Corporation. Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Swadhin gave this information.

During the meeting, the prime minister praised Masumi Kakinoki's leadership in strengthening trade and economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Japan. He also thanked him, as chairman of Marubeni Corporation, for his role in expanding Japanese investment in Bangladesh and improving business relations between the two countries.

At the time, Masumi Kakinoki expressed the expectation that bilateral trade would expand, Japanese investment would increase and new business opportunities would be created through effective implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Bangladesh and Japan.

The prime minister called for increased Japanese investment in promising sectors including Bangladesh's information and communication technology (ICT), renewable energy and advanced manufacturing. He said there are significant opportunities for investment in these sectors through foreign direct investment (FDI) and public-private partnerships (PPP).

The prime minister stressed Japanese cooperation in modernising Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (KAFCO) and in examining the feasibility of establishing a second fertiliser plant in Bangladesh.

He said the Bangladesh government is committed to ensuring an investment-friendly environment. To that end, the government is working to expand opportunities for Japanese businesspeople to invest and do business in Bangladesh through regulatory reform, simplification of investment approval processes and strengthening of public-private partnerships.

Present at the time were Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, the prime minister's finance and planning adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs-1 Humayun Kabir, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit, the prime minister's posts, telecommunications and ICT and science and technology adviser Rehan Asif Asad, the prime minister's special assistant (foreign employment in the Asia-Pacific region) Dr Md Shakirul Islam Khan, Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostakur Rahman and Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon.

Earlier, on 11 October in Dhaka, a delegation led by Marubeni Corporation's president and chief executive officer (CEO) Masayuki Omoto met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. At that meeting at the Prime Minister's Office, various aspects of cooperation in Bangladesh's information technology, artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security, fertiliser and energy sectors and expansion of Japanese investment in Bangladesh were discussed.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is in Tokyo on a four-day state visit. He is leading a high-level delegation.