Japanese Ambassador IWAMA Kiminori said that Bangladesh is ready to provide assistance to the needs of the interim government during the ongoing transitional period.
He spoke about this assistance while speaking at a seminar on ‘Bangladesh-Japan Relations’ organized by the Association of Former Ambassadors (AOFA) at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Wednesday.
He said, we are ready to engage with the stakeholders of the new government and the people of Bangladesh to assess what is required under the current framework. Our position is to respond to the needs and requests of the new government and offer support accordingly.
At the time, Kiminori stressed the need for Japan’s commitment to support Bangladesh in its reform initiatives, emphasizing cooperation in key sectors including trade, defense and people-to-people contacts. He said Japan will combine its efforts with the interests of its own society and Japanese businesses operating in Bangladesh.
Ambassador Gausul Azam and Ambassador Shahed Akhtar also spoke in the seminar chaired by AOFA President Ambassador Abdullah Al Hasan. Ambassador Farooq Sobhan, former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador Masood Bin Momen and Professor Nailur Nahar of International Relations were present on the occasion among others.
Ambassador Kiminori said that more than 300 Japanese companies are currently working in Bangladesh. None of these companies have decided to withdraw despite security concerns during the transition period in the country. Bangladesh needs more foreign investment, including from Japan, to move towards a prosperous society. And to achieve this, the interim government needs to improve the business environment.
Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Country Representative Yuji Ando also spoke on the occasion. He emphasized the need for Japanese companies to explore and evaluate the Bangladeshi market. He urged the interim government to focus on reducing bureaucratic complexity, improving governance and tackling issues such as corruption, which are important to attract more investment.
Ando said, now is the right time to restore Bangladesh’s business environment to attract more foreign investment. Currently there are 45 ministries in Bangladesh. Bangladesh can make the government structure more expansive and dynamic.
Source : Jugantar
