The relations between the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries will strengthen further in the coming days, speakers have said at a seminar in the city.
They observed that JICA has been playing significant role in developing infrastructures, especially in the sectors like power, energy, transportation, and urban development, in SAARC countries for a long time.
They came up with the views at the seminar, titled 'Role of JICA in Socio-Economic Development of the SAARC Countries'.
JICA Alumni Association of Bangladesh (JAAB) and JICA Alumni Associations Forum of SAARC Countries (JAAFSC) jointly organised the seminar at the BIAM Auditorium.
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Hiroyasu Izumi and JICA Chief Representative to Bangladesh Takatoshi Nishikata attended the programme as special guests. JAAB Secretary General Dr Aminul Islam and JAAFSC Revival Committee Convener Ejar Uddin were also present, among others.
Public Works Department (PWD)'s additional chief engineer Syed Mahfuz Ahmed presented the key note paper.
Addressing the programme, Japanese Ambassador Izumi said SAARC nations are continuously working hard to achieve encouraging targets for the development of each country of the regional grouping.
About Bangladesh, he said the country has set targets to become a middle income country by 2021 and a high income one by 2041 while the government of Japan has been supporting Bangladesh to achieve these targets.
Apart from project aids in many countries including SAARC region, Japan has been providing training opportunities globally for potential participants to study in the fields of governance, transportation, legal capacity, health, and public finance, Izumi said.
He also said the alumni of these study programmes have been contributing to home countries after their return by applying what they have learnt in Japan.
Speaking at the programme, JAAB President Khan said JICA is one of the crucial driving forces of many development projects in SAARC countries.
Mentioning that JICA and Bangladesh has started working together since 1975, he said the relation of JICA with SAARC countries will strengthen further in future.
He added that the platform of JICA alumni is very important to share best practices and knowledge of implementing different projects in different countries.
Presenting the keynote, PWD's additional chief engineer Mahfuz Ahmed said Japan has been Bangladesh's one of the trusted friends since 1973. Since then, it has been extending technical cooperation in development projects, providing development assistance through ODA, ODA grants, forming public private partnerships through JICA, he said.
Currently, Japan has investments in Bangladesh in the different large-scale development projects, including Jamuna Rail Bridge, Cross-Border Road Network, Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development and Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal Fired Power Plant.
He mentioned that Bangladesh signed exchange of notes on the 37th ODA loan package to finance six major development projects worth around US $ 1.5 billion last year.
Apart from Bangladesh, representatives of JICA alumni from seven other SAARC countries - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and Maldives - participated in the programme.
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