The key facts

  • The visit will begin Monday and last four days at the invitation of the Japanese side
  • Around eight memorandums are under discussion; Dhaka expects at least three or four to be signed
  • Bilateral trade between the two countries stands at about $4 billion; Japan is the largest bilateral development partner

First visit since the BNP government was formed

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will travel next week on a four-day official visit to Japan — his first since his party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), formed a government earlier this year. The visit will take place at the invitation of the Japanese prime minister and begin on Monday.

Memorandums and new areas of cooperation

As Foreign Minister Asad Alam Siam told journalists, the key focus of the visit will be economic and investment cooperation. According to him, around eight memorandums of understanding are under discussion, of which Dhaka expects to sign at least three or four. The visit is also expected to identify new areas of cooperation, including renewable energy, agricultural technology and human resource development. In the minister's assessment, the trip will provide an opportunity to 'further deepen and modernise the existing relations between Bangladesh and Japan'.

Visit programme

The trip includes a planned meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, talks with the leadership of leading companies, and a speech at the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Forum. According to the ministry, the resolution of the crisis surrounding millions of Rohingya refugees and regional security may also be on the agenda.

Context of bilateral relations

Japan is Bangladesh's largest bilateral development partner and an important export market. Trade turnover between the two countries currently stands at about $4 billion. In addition, over the past weekend the countries signed an agreement to begin recruiting Bangladeshi workers from April next year, opening up new opportunities for them in Japan with legal protection.