PM’s Japan visit poised to unlock investment in Bangladesh’s high-value industries: JETRO
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s scheduled visit to Japan from October 26 is expected to provide an opportunity to strengthen bilateral economic ties and promote Japanese investment in Bangladesh’s high-value industries through technology transfer, human resource development and business environment reforms.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to leave for a four-day visit to Japan on October 26, with strengthening bilateral relations, deepening economic partnerships and increasing investment among Bangladesh’s key priorities, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir recently told reporters.
Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Country Representative Kazuiki Kataoka said the visit could help showcase Bangladesh’s investment potential and encourage both prospective and existing Japanese investors to expand their engagement with the country.
“The visit could provide an opportunity to showcase Bangladesh’s investment potential and encourage both prospective and existing Japanese investors to expand their engagement with the country,” he said in an interview with BSS.
Kataoka said the visit would also provide an opportunity to reaffirm the friendship and partnership that Japan and Bangladesh had built over more than five decades.
Japan has already made significant contributions to Bangladesh’s energy, transport infrastructure, ports, airports and manufacturing sectors, he said, adding that the visit could help identify further areas of economic cooperation and strengthen Japan’s engagement with Bangladesh in the coming years.
Kataoka said the Bangladesh government had set a clear objective of diversifying and upgrading the country’s industrial base beyond traditional sectors such as garments and leather.
“We hope to use this opportunity to highlight how Japanese companies can contribute to these goals through investment, technology transfer, human resource development, and the creation of high-value-added industries, generating new opportunities for mutually beneficial growth in both countries,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of improving the investment climate, Kataoka said many Japanese companies were still not fully familiar with Bangladesh’s business environment. He welcomed the current government’s commitment to improving the business environment and addressing challenges faced by foreign companies.
“We would welcome clear messages on resolving common challenges for existing investors, as well as a continued commitment to business environment reforms,” he said.
Kataoka said addressing the concerns of existing Japanese investors would be important not only to attract new businesses but also to encourage companies already operating in Bangladesh to expand their investments.
Asked about potential investment commitments, business-to-business cooperation, technology transfer and expansion of Bangladesh’s exports to Japan following the visit, Kataoka said it was too early to comment on specific outcomes.
However, he said JETRO hoped that a visit focused on bilateral business and investment promotion would strengthen confidence among prospective and existing Japanese investors.
Sustained business environment reforms and stronger economic engagement could help attract fresh investment while encouraging Japanese companies already operating in Bangladesh to expand their businesses, he added.
The visit could thus provide an opportunity to deepen Bangladesh-Japan economic cooperation, particularly in industrial diversification, technology transfer and the development of high-value-added industries.
