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TOKYO: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held a courtesy meeting with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President Dr Akihiko Tanaka on Monday, discussing ways to accelerate development projects in Bangladesh, continue concessional loans and expand technical cooperation.
The meeting took place at 5:10pm local time on October 26, with JICA Senior Vice-President Shohei Hara and other senior officials of the agency present.
The Prime Minister’s Office shared details of the meeting in a post on its verified Facebook page.
During the meeting, Tarique Rahman recalled a productive discussion with the JICA president in Dhaka during his visit to Bangladesh in July 2026. He expressed gratitude for Japan’s longstanding support for Bangladesh’s socioeconomic development and JICA’s significant contribution to the country’s progress.
The prime minister said Japanese assistance had played an important role in developing Bangladesh’s infrastructure, advancing socioeconomic progress and supporting the country’s development aspirations. He stressed the need to deepen the longstanding friendly relations between the two countries and continue cooperation to improve Bangladesh’s development prospects and people’s living standards.
The meeting underscored the importance of completing major development projects supported by Japan within their scheduled timelines. The two sides also discussed expediting the approval and implementation of priority projects awaiting clearance.
Considering Bangladesh’s current development priorities, they discussed continuing concessional loan assistance from Japan and expanding technical cooperation.
Bangladesh also proposed establishing a Bangladesh-Japan skills development partnership and a technology and innovation city. It sought greater cooperation in agricultural modernisation, agro-processing and the light engineering sector.
In view of the current global energy situation, Bangladesh also requested budgetary support, similar to that provided last year, to meet domestic energy needs and ensure energy security.
The JICA president reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working together with Bangladesh to achieve prosperity.
Tarique Rahman expressed hope that the proposed initiatives would further strengthen the strategic partnership between Bangladesh and Japan and contribute to shared prosperity.