Japanese PM Abe due today

Dhaka will seek Japanese investment and assistance in energy, infrastructure and large projects at today's summit between the prime ministers of Bangladesh and Japan, according to official sources.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives in Dhaka today on a day's visit aimed at further strengthening the bilateral ties between the two Asian countries.
During his stay here, the Japanese Prime Minister is likely to discuss a plan about setting up a special industrial area for Japanese companies in Bangladesh.
On the host side, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to request her counterpart to help construct two deep-sea ports in the Bay of Bengal off Matarbari and Kutubdia islets.
According to high officials, the visit of the Japanese PM will hopefully play a very significant role in continuing his country's assistance towards Bangladesh's socioeconomic development. Abe will have an entourage of over 150 people, including executives from 50 companies.
Leading businessmen of both the countries, representatives of the Board of Investment and Japan External Trade Organisation will take part in the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Forum to be held at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel at 12.30 pm.
The visiting Japanese Prime Minister will address the concluding session.
A joint communiqué capping the two-nation summit talks will be issued, articulating the plans and pledges to move the bilateral cooperation onto a higher trajectory.
The Japanese leader will also meet President Abdul Hamid and Leader of the Opposition Raushan Ershad. Abe will also meet BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at Sonargaon Hotel.
"The focus of the visit is investment," said Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali at a press conference earlier.
He held the hope that the visit would encourage Japanese investors to invest in Bangladesh, especially in energy, electricity generation, infrastructure development, IT, textiles, RMG, pharmaceuticals, automobiles and other prospective sectors.
'The government wants to expand economic and technical relationship with Japan to implement 'Vision 2021' propounded by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to elevate Bangladesh's status to middle-income country,' Mahmood said.
During the tour, exclusive economic zones for Japanese investors would also be discussed, he said.
Bangladesh has agreed to give some 500 acres of land for the Japanese investors exclusively when Sheikh Hasina visited Tokyo last May.
During the first meeting of the Bangladesh-Japan Joint Public-Private Economic Dialogue on August 21, both the parties discussed investment barriers in Bangladesh.
According to sources, Japanese aid-agency Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has already come forward with nearly US$3.6 billion soft loan for setting up a coal-handling seaport at Matarbari.
Now it has shown interest in setting up a full-fledged deep-sea port there, said an official.
Under the Japanese $3.6 billion financial support, a 1,200-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant and a township would also be developed at Matarbari on Maheshkhali Island.
A top government official said if Prime Minister Hasina makes a formal request to the Japanese PM, Tokyo could kick-start the comprehensive development plan in an urgent manner.
"The deep-sea port could be a key discussion point between the two premiers as Bangladesh is positive about Japan's interest in construction of the deep-sea ports," he told the FE.
He said Japan with the world's second-largest economy has preliminarily chosen Matarbari and Kutubdia as the potential places for setting up the ports deep in the sea.
Japan had also suggested the Bangladesh government to send a formal request letter through the Economic Relations Division to Tokyo for considering the proposed deep-sea-port projects, the official added.
Bangladesh had planned to build the ports seven years ago, in 2006, on the Sonadia Island in the Bay.
In a major matter of high diplomatic importance, Japan will seek Dhaka's support in next year's election to a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council (UNSC).
A highly placed source said PM Abe will discuss Japan's candidacy for the UNSC seat for 2016-17 with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Only one UN member-state from the Asia-Pacific region can win each election. Bangladesh's support is crucial for Japan as Dhaka has also expressed its interest in contesting the election and has been campaigning since 2002.