Businessmen to seek Japanese infra support during Tokyo tour

Talha Bin Habib | Published: May 25, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

Bangladeshi businessmen will request their Japanese counterparts to scale up imports from Bangladesh and increase investment to help narrow the trade gape between the two countries, a trade body leader said.
A business delegation lead by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) president left the country Saturday for Japan to accompany Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The PM will visit Japan from May 25 to 28, 2014 aiming to boost bilateral trade, investment and cooperation between the two countries.
"We will ask them (Japanese businessmen) to invest more in Bangladesh considering the prevailing business opportunity in the country," Abdul Haque, director of the FBCCI told the FE before leaving the country Saturday. Â
Haque, who is also an adviser to Japanese Businesses Association in BangladeshÂ (Sho Ko Kai) said that there would be a business seminar in Tokyo on May 27, 2014. Â
Japan- Bangladesh Committee for Commercial and Economic Cooperation (JBCCEC) will organise the event at the JETRO headquarters in the Japanese capital of Tokyo. In the seminar, Bangladeshi businessmen will request their Japanese counterparts to increase their investment in the country.
"The Japanese investment in Bangladesh is now over US $ 1.44 billion. Low cost for local work force, competitive incentives for the investors and easy to expatriate profits will attract Japanese investment in Bangladesh," he said.Â Â
He said that there will be business to business (B2B) meeting between the two countries. Bangladeshi businessmen will visit N- Expro : 2014 (New Environment Exposition) on May 28, 2014.
During their staty in Japan they will participate in meetings and seminar. They will have a meeting with the Bangladeshi expatriates in Japan for increasing investment in the country.
Bangladesh will seek more cooperation from Japanese entrepreneurs in building the country's infrastructure.
Â "We will seek more Japanese cooperation in building the country's infrastructure at the bilateral official meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries," a high official of the East Asia and Pacific affairs desk of the ministry of foreign affairs (MoFA) told the FE.
The PM will have meetings with her Japanese counterpart Taro Aso, Emperor Akihito and foreign minister Fumio Kishida. She will deliver a key not presentation at Waseda University. She will hold meeting with the Japanese businessmen and Bangladeshi community in Japan.
The volume of bilateral trade between the two countries is around US $ 2 billion tilted in favour of Japan.
Japan is the largest bilateral donor of Bangladesh. The overseas development assistance (ODA) from Japan to the country has amounted to US $ 12 billion since the independence of the country, according to economic relations division (ERD) figures.
President of FBCCI Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed will lead the 44- member business delegation.Â Â Â Â Â
First vice-president of FBCCI Monowara Hakim Ali, vice-president Md Helal Uddin, president of Bangladesh Garements Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Md Atiqul Islam, chairman of Beximco Group AS Rahman, presidents of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Mohammad Shahjahan Khan, directors of FBCCI Abdul Haque, Md Mamtazuddin, Rezaul Karim Rejnu, Md Bazlur Rahman, Md Anwar Sadat, Jahangir Alamin and presdients of differnt districts chambers, among others, are among the PM entourage.