Bangabandhu took Japan as development model for Bangladesh: Information Minister
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman visited Japan in 1973 and took Japan as a development model for Bangladesh, which had very limited resources and a high density of population along with other problems.
Mentioning that Japan was one of the countries which recognised Bangladesh just after the independence, Dr.Hasan said Japan has the biggest contribution to Bangladesh’s socio-economic development since the establishment of bilateral relations of the two friendly countries.
“Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed the comprehensive partnership agreement with Japan in 2014 and our bilateral cooperation is getting stronger day by day,” he added.
Dr Hasan said this while delivering a speech virtually at a webinar titled “Celebrating 50 Years of Japan Bangladesh Friendship and Looking Forward to a Prosperous Future”, held here this afternoon marking the 50 years of Japan – Bangladesh friendship.
The CCCI organized the event in cooperation with JETRO & JBCCI.
Dr Hasan said Bangladesh could not become a middle-income country by 2022, without the help of Japan and other development partners.
Mentioning that Japan is the largest destination of Bangladeshi products in Asia, the minister said “Bangladesh mostly exports RMG and leather goods to Japan where we have opportunity to export more products”.
“Poverty rate in Bangladesh has decreased to 20 per cent from 40 per cent in the last 13 years and the per capita income has become $2600, which is 4.5 times higher than that of 2008,” he said.
Expressing hope that Japanese investment in Bangladesh will enhance more as a special economic zone is ready at Araihazar of Narayanganj, he urged Japan to take a special zone under Bangabandhu Shilpa Nagar located at Mirsharai.
Japan’s Ambassador to Bangladesh ITO Naoki, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary (East) Mashfee Binte Shams, Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Japan Shahabuddin Ahmed, Chairman of Japan-angladesh Committee for Commercial and Economic Cooperation in Tokyo, Japan, Teruo Asada CBE, CCCI President Mahbubul Alam, Executive Vice-President of JETRO in Tokyo, Kazuya Nakajo,
President of Japanese Commercial and Industry Association in Dhaka Hikari Kawai, and President of JBCCI Asif A Chowdhury, among others, addressed the programme.
Yuji Ando, country representative of JETRO, Dhaka, Tareq Rafi Bhuiyan (Jun), secretary-general of JBCCI, are the co-moderators of the programme.
Speaking on the occasion Ito Naoki said after the visit of Bangabandhu in 1973 to Japan, a delegation came to Bangladesh in 1974 and helped Bangladesh in the construction of Jamuna Bridge, Sonargaon Hotel, Chattogram Airport and Ghorasal Fertilizer Plant.
“The friendship and cooperation between Bangladesh and Japan can become more robust in enhancing cooperation,” he said.
Japan will cooperate for early repatriation of Rohingya people staying in Bangladesh, he said, adding that he is expecting to organize the Bay of Bengal Growth Summit at Chattogram.
Nearly 300 people from Japan and Bangladesh joined the online event.
