Efforts on to enhance connectivity among India, Bangladesh, Japan: Kiminori

Preparations are underway for the next phase of discussions regarding enhanced connectivity between India, Bangladesh and Japan, said Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh IWAMA Kiminori.

At a roundtable held at the embassy on Saturday, the envoy also said Bangladesh was selected as one of the four countries in the newly established Official Security Assistance (OSA) to deepen military ties following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to Tokyo last April.

Regarding the trilateral connectivity, he said, "India initiated the first step this year in discussing how we can explore ways to enhance connectivity between the border area and the northeastern part of India."

"We have consulted with our counterpart in India through our embassy in India and we are preparing for the next step of dialogue," he said while addressing the roundtable, titled "Materialising Japan-Bangladesh Strategic Partnership: Diplomatic, Economic and People-to-People Relations", organised by The Pan-Asia Research Institute (Pari), a Japan-based think tank.

India, Bangladesh and Japan have decided to explore the possibility of a trilateral partnership to unlock the potential of the landlocked northeast through Chittagong Port and the Tokyo-funded deep sea port in Bangladesh's Matarbari.

The decision was taken on 12 April following two days of talks between ministers from India and Bangladesh and top Japanese officials in Agartala, the capital of Tripura, reports the Economic Times.

"We have a very clear objective, we have to go together, we want to connect with our neighbour [India] or faraway land [Japan]," Shahriar Alam, state minister for foreign affairs, said at the roundtable.   

Japan is making investments in Bangladesh and in northeast India, especially in the Matarbari deep sea port that will link the area's landlocked region with the Bay of Bengal.

A recent study by Asian Confluence concluded that Northeast India and Bangladesh should increase their multimodal connectivity in order to boost the region's competitiveness and close development gaps.

The report recommended that both organisations cooperate to facilitate trade and create express routes for the transhipment and transit of commodities from the Northeast Region to Chattogram Port. These efforts should be undertaken concurrently.

Earlier in May this year, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen underscored the potential of a trilateral partnership among Bangladesh, India and Japan, leveraging Bangladesh's strategic location.

He said this partnership would focus on investment, market development and enhanced connectivity, with India's growing economy and Japan's capital surplus playing crucial roles.

Japan selects Bangladesh for new OSA

The ambassador said for peace and stability, Japan established the cooperation framework, styled OSA, for the benefit of armed forces and the regional organisations of like-minded countries.

"This shows how much importance Japan attaches to Bangladesh," he said about the inclusion of Bangladesh.

In addition to that, Kiminori said Japan had started negotiations with Bangladesh on an agreement concerning the "Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology".

OSA is referred to in the new "National Security Strategy" approved by the Japanese Cabinet on 16 December 2022.

Japan's OSA will be managed separately from the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) programme that has funded roads, dams and other civilian infrastructure for decades, Reuters reported in April this year.

The first recipients will likely be the Philippines, Malaysia, Bangladesh, or Fiji, the report mentioned.

Regarding the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the Japanese envoy also said, "Last December, we launched the joint study group on the possibility of EPA. We have two meetings and are preparing for the third round of meetings to complete the joint study. We are aiming to start the negotiation process at an early stage."

He also talked about the cooperation among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Bangladesh and Japan.

The embassy of Japan in Bangladesh and the government will make all efforts in order to enhance the relationship between Asean, Bangladesh and Japan, Kiminori added.

Among others, FBCCI President Mahbubul Alam, Apex Footwear Ltd Managing Director Syed Nasim Manzur and Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI) Secretary General Md Anwar Shahid were present as panelists at the roundtable.