Play store
Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corporation has expressed interest in expanding its existing investments in Bangladesh and exploring opportunities in new industries, including fertiliser, information technology, energy, ship recycling and automobile manufacturing.
The interest was expressed at a meeting between Commerce, Industries, Textiles and Jute Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir and a Marubeni delegation led by its President and Chief Executive Officer Masayuki Omoto at the Secretariat on Sunday.
The minister said the government was working to simplify business procedures, reduce administrative complexities and create a favourable environment for foreign investment to promote industrialisation, technology transfer and employment.
He assured the Japanese company of policy and institutional support to strengthen economic ties between the two countries.
Discussions covered fertiliser production, IT, energy, environmentally friendly ship recycling, a proposal related to manufacturing Toyota-brand vehicles in Bangladesh, and progress towards signing and implementing the Bangladesh-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
The diversification of jute products and opportunities to expand bilateral trade and investment also featured in the discussions, according to Commerce Ministry Public Relations Officer Md Kamal Hossain.
Muktadir said Japanese technology, expertise and investment could play an important role in developing Bangladesh’s manufacturing industries. He identified shipbuilding and recycling, automobiles, agro-based industries and high-tech sectors as areas with potential for joint ventures.
He said the government was pursuing reforms to facilitate investment in these sectors.
The minister also highlighted plans to diversify the jute industry by moving beyond traditional products towards higher-value goods. These include blending jute fibres with cotton, viscose and polyester, developing improved seeds and expanding research activities.
Marubeni’s Omoto highlighted the company’s longstanding business presence in Bangladesh and discussed opportunities to modernise Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (KAFCO), improve the use of natural gas and increase fertiliser production capacity.
He also expressed interest in new investment and technological cooperation in producing diammonium phosphate (DAP) and triple superphosphate (TSP) fertilisers.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s IT potential, Omoto said hundreds of Bangladeshi engineers employed by Bangladesh-Japan Information Technology (BJIT), a joint investment venture, were providing services to international markets, including Japan.
He said there was scope to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence and IT offshoring.
The meeting also explored the use of modern, environmentally sound technologies in ship recycling, the proposal for Toyota vehicle manufacturing and ensuring uninterrupted power supplies to economic zones.
Small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) technology was also discussed as a possible long-term option for strengthening energy security.
Muktadir said the government was prioritising simplified company registration, trade licensing and investment approval procedures, alongside arrangements for foreign investors to repatriate profits and capital.
Both sides stressed the importance of deepening Bangladesh-Japan economic relations, realising the potential benefits of CEPA and building long-term partnerships in industry and technology.
Industries Secretary Abdun Naser Khan attended the meeting.