Bangladesh prime minister hails meeting with Japanese counterpart as step toward stronger ties
- Tarique Rahman proposes founding Bangladesh-Japan Tech Park to advance cooperation in AI, advanced technologies
Loading…
Loading…
- Tarique Rahman proposes founding Bangladesh-Japan Tech Park to advance cooperation in AI, advanced technologies
By SM Najmus Sakib
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday called a meeting with his Japanese counterpart an important step forward in strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations.
Rahman is currently on a four-day visit to Japan.
"Today, I had a highly productive summit meeting with Prime Minister @takaichi_sanae, where we reaffirmed our shared commitment to democracy, the rule of law, economic development, and a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific," he said on US social media platform X.
"A significant outcome of our summit was our shared commitment to advance the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B) initiative into a new framework for shared prosperity," he added.
The BIG-B initiative will focus on developing energy, deep-sea ports, industrial infrastructure, technology, and regional connectivity, strengthening Bangladesh’s position as a bridge between South and Southeast Asia.
He also proposed establishing a Bangladesh-Japan Tech Park to advance cooperation in artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.
He also discussed cooperation in space science and satellite engineering as well as Japanese technical and financial support for high-speed rail connectivity.
Rahman also thanked Japan for continued humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya population and called for its sustained engagement in securing their voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return to Myanmar.
Bangladesh is hosting about 1.2 million Rohingya on its southeastern coast, with most of them fleeing Myanmar military crackdown in August 2017.
Japan is Bangladesh’s largest bilateral development partner and a major export destination, with trade between the countries totaling around $4 billion.
Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s prime minister in February, following his party's victory in the country’s first general election since the 2024 student-led uprising that toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Sm Najmus Sakib