PM Tarique Rahman's Japan visit: Beyond diplomacy, learning the Japanese lesson

Bangladesh must use its partnership with Japan not only to attract investment, but also to learn from the values, institutions and educational practices that underpin Japan's remarkable transformation.

As Prime Minister Tarique Rahman prepares to visit Japan from October 26 to 29, 2026, Bangladesh has an important opportunity to elevate its longstanding friendship with Tokyo. The visit, including a summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on October 27, is expected to advance cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure and human-resource development. The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), signed in February 2026, provides an additional framework for expanding economic engagement.

Yet the significance of this visit extends beyond agreements and investment announcements. Bangladesh should seize the opportunity to learn from Japan's post-war transformation, particularly its emphasis on education, discipline, institutional integrity , patriotism and collective responsibility.

I write from personal experience. I served as Bangladesh's ambassador to Japan from 2006 to 2010, a posting I regard as the crowning achievement of my 34-year diplomatic career. Travelling extensively across the country and studying its history and society gave me a deep appreciation of the Japanese people's work ethic, sense of duty and respect for the collective good. Those years also left me wondering why Bangladesh, despite its immense human potential and the sacrifices made for independence, has struggled to cultivate some of the same qualities.

Two nations, two paths after devastation

Japan's post-war experience offers a compelling lesson in national reconstruction.

Following its surrender in August 1945, Japan faced catastrophic destruction. Three million people killed, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, combined with conventional bombing, devastated its cities and industrial capacity. Millions endured displacement, poverty and food shortages, while returning soldiers and civilians had to be reintegrated into a shattered society.

Japan's recovery was neither immediate nor the achievement of national determination alone. American assistance, occupation-era reforms, access to overseas markets and favourable international circumstances all contributed. Japanese governments, businesses, workers and citizens, however, played a decisive role in translating these opportunities into sustained growth.

Through investment in education, infrastructure, technology, industry and exports, Japan rebuilt its productive capacity. By 1968, it had become the world's second-largest economy, behind the United States

The achievement was not simply that a defeated nation recovered. Japan mobilised its human resources, strengthened its institutions and developed a culture of continuous improvement. Quality, punctuality, efficiency, respect for public property and pride in work became important contributors to its competitiveness.

Japan's success besides the cultural traits can also be attributed to sound policies, industrial strategy, technological advancement and international trade, which were equally important. Nevertheless, the connection between individual responsibility and collective progress offers valuable lessons for Bangladesh.

Bangladesh: The promise of independence and the unfinished task

Bangladesh emerged from the Liberation War of 1971 amid enormous human suffering and economic devastation. Infrastructure had been damaged, industries disrupted and millions displaced. Like Japan, the newly independent country faced the formidable task of reconstruction.

The two countries, however, began from different economic and geopolitical circumstances. Japan possessed an established industrial base and benefited from a particular international environment, while Bangladesh inherited a deeply impoverished economy. Even so, both demonstrated the resilience of their people. Though the United States was an occupier, its massive economic support to Japan, played a pivotal role for the country's recovery. In contrast, our so-called benefactor, transported parts of our major industries, whatever was left, to their country, thwarting our recovery efforts.

Bangladesh has achieved significant progress in agriculture, public health, education, women's participation in the workforce, exports and poverty reduction. Its garment industry has generated millions of jobs, while remittances sustain countless households. These accomplishments deserve recognition.

Yet corruption, patronage, rent-seeking, smuggling, weak accountability and the politicisation of institutions have repeatedly undermined the efficient use of national resources. Development projects have not always delivered benefits commensurate with their costs, while dependence on external financing has exposed weaknesses in domestic resource mobilisation and industrial diversification.

The problem is most of the Bangladeshis lack integrity, intelligence, patriotism or the capacity for hard work. Rather, individual effort has too often been undermined by systems that fail to reward merit, uphold accountability or consistently serve the public interest.

In the early years of independence, ordinary citizens demonstrated remarkable willingness to endure hardship for national reconstruction. Unfortunately, we failed to translate that patriotic spirit into sufficiently strong institutions and enduring national practices. I think it was some time in 1973 Bangabondhu urged the people to hold patience as he was not in a position to provide anything to them for the next three years, which the people accepted gladly- demonstrating their willingness to sacrifice. But we know how this opportunity for moving the nation was squandered. Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman subsequently pursued initiatives to invigorate economic activity and development by galvanizing the people's enthusiasm but his assassination in 1981 cut short his presidency.

Japan and Bangladesh: A friendship built over five decades

Japan recognised Bangladesh on February 10, 1972, among the earliest countries to do so. The relationship grew rapidly after independence, supported by popular goodwill and development cooperation. Japanese citizens had also demonstrated solidarity with the people of this land through humanitarian assistance following the devastating 1970 cyclone. During the war of liberation the ordinary citizens of Japan extended solidarity and support to our cause, including school children donating lunch money towards our cause.

One significant event that transformed the Bangladesh- Japan relationship, earning Japan's admiration views on Bangladesh , when one Japanese passenger airplane was hijacked by the Japanese red army and forced landed in Dhaka. Then Bangladesh Airforce chief AVM Mahmud alongside a Japanese minister successfully resolved the weeklong high voltage crisis peacefully and without any casualties. However, under the cover of this incident a group of disgruntled airforce personnel launched a coup killing a number of senior officers of the fledgling airforce. The whole episode left a sense of permanent goodwill of Japan for Bangladesh .

Japan has since become one of Bangladesh's most important development partners. Over the five decades Japan has contributed more than $30 bn ODA support to Bangladesh. Under the Human Resources Development Program Japan provided scholarships to nearly 5000 students for seeking higher education in Japan. Its assistance has supported infrastructure, transport, energy, education and healthcare. Japanese cooperation has contributed to major projects, including the Jamuna Bridge, Dhaka's urban rail system and the development of Matarbari. Japan is also supporting the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The Maheshkhali-Matarbari Integrated Infrastructure Development Initiative (MIDI) aims to develop the coastal region into a centre for energy, industry, logistics and maritime connectivity. If effectively implemented, it could strengthen Bangladesh's position in regional supply chains.

The Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt, or BIG-B, advanced during the tenure of the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, similarly envisaged linking infrastructure with industrialisation, trade and regional connectivity. Abe's 2014 visit to Dhaka, accompanied by a substantial Japanese business delegation, marked an important milestone.

During that visit, I had a brief meeting with Abe, who conveyed that he had considerably larger ambitions for Japan-Bangladesh cooperation. I remember the encounter with particular fondness.

The 2016 Holey Artisan attack, in which Japanese nationals were among those killed, seriously affected confidence in Bangladesh. Abe's assassination in 2022 was another tragic loss. Nevertheless, the underlying friendship endured.

Today, Bangladesh's location on the Bay of Bengal, expanding market, industrial workforce and potential as a regional manufacturing and logistics centre offer significant opportunities for Japan. Japanese technology, investment and management expertise can, in turn, help Bangladesh diversify its economy and improve productivity.

What should Bangladesh seek from the visit?

The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary's October 20 briefing indicated that the visit is expected to advance agreements and memorandums of understanding, alongside discussions on investment, development financing, trade and human-resource development. These are worthwhile objectives, but success must be measured by tangible benefits for the people of Bangladesh.

First, investment must build productive capacity. Bangladesh should seek Japanese investment in manufacturing, electronics, pharmaceuticals, information technology, agricultural processing, renewable energy and other industries that generate skilled employment. Technology transfer and the development of local suppliers should be central considerations.

Second, the EPA must be implemented effectively. Bangladesh needs to improve product quality, logistics, customs efficiency and compliance with Japanese standards. Export promotion should extend beyond garments to pharmaceuticals, processed food, leather goods and light engineering, where commercially viable.

Third, development financing must deliver value. Affordable loans are important, but lower interest rates alone cannot guarantee success. Transparent procurement, realistic cost estimates, timely implementation and independent monitoring are essential to ensure that projects serve the public interest.

Fourth, human-resource development must become a central pillar. Given Japan's high elderly population , Japan's labour-market needs  Bangladeshi workers. Cooperation should encompass Japanese-language instruction, technical and vocational training, recognised skills certification, workplace safety and protection against recruitment abuses. Properly managed, these opportunities can improve livelihoods and strengthen Bangladesh's skills base.

Fifth, Bangladesh should seek stronger Japanese engagement on the Rohingya crisis. Japan can help sustain international attention, humanitarian assistance and diplomatic efforts to create conditions for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. Such repatriation requires credible guarantees of security and rights.

There is, however, one further area in which Japan's experience may prove even more valuable: the education of our children.

The lesson I most want the Prime Minister to bring home

During my years in Japan, I came to appreciate the importance attached to social responsibility, punctuality, cleanliness, cooperation , patriotism and respect for public spaces. Schools help develop these habits through classroom routines, shared responsibilities, group activities and the example of teachers. Children learn that citizenship involves duties as well as rights.

Japan's educational system is geared to produce worthy citizens and inculcate core national values in them. Children also learn from the conduct of adults, the fairness of institutions and the example set by public figures.

Nevertheless, I would respectfully urge Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to discuss a Japan-Bangladesh Primary Teacher Development Programme with his Japanese counterpart.

Under this proposal, around 1,000 Bangladeshi primary-school teachers could receive training annually in Japan, or through a combination of Japanese-led training in Bangladesh and placements in Japanese schools. The programme could run for an initial ten years, subject to evaluation and available resources.

Training would focus on age-appropriate methods of teaching honesty, respect, discipline, teamwork, environmental responsibility, care for public property and mutual respect. It would also cover practical classroom techniques, inclusive education and school-community engagement.

Teachers returning from Japan could train colleagues throughout Bangladesh, supported by local teacher-training institutions and a network of model primary schools. The programme must be adapted to our language, culture and educational needs.

Its success should be assessed not by the number of teachers sent abroad alone, but by improvements in classroom practice, student participation, cooperation and civic responsibility. Transparent selection, adequate funding and independent evaluation would be essential.

Such an initiative would require investment, but its benefits could extend across generations. Infrastructure can transform regions and factories can create jobs; the quality of a nation's human capital determines how effectively those assets are used.

Beyond agreements: Investing in the next generation

My conviction about the value of Japan-Bangladesh relations is also personal. During my ambassadorship, I developed close friendships with two consecutive Japanese prime ministers, Taro Aso and Shinzo Abe. Following the death of Hayakawa Takashi, a longtime friend of Bangladesh who headed the Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship Association, I urged Aso to take over its presidency. He agreed. Such gestures reflected a goodwill towards Bangladesh that I have never forgotten.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will understandably focus on trade, investment, development finance and strategic cooperation. But I hope he will also ask what enabled Japan to rise from the ruins of war and sustain prosperity over generations.

There is no single Japanese formula that Bangladesh can import. Japan's success rested on effective institutions, education, sound policies, technological advancement, social responsibility and continuous improvement. These are not exclusively Japanese qualities; they are human capacities that Bangladesh can cultivate.

A teacher-training programme alone cannot remedy corruption or institutional weakness. But education offers one of the most enduring starting points for national transformation.

The people of Bangladesh demonstrated extraordinary courage in the struggle for independence. Our challenge now is to translate that courage into a sustained commitment to building institutions that reward merit, uphold the law and ensure that public resources serve the public good.

I hope Prime Minister Tarique Rahman returns from Japan with more than agreements and investment commitments. I hope he also brings home a practical vision for developing the character, competence and civic responsibility of the next generation.

Japan rebuilt its country by mobilising its people and strengthening the institutions that supported their efforts. Bangladesh, too, possesses the human potential to achieve far more. Our task is to create the conditions in which that potential can flourish.

The author is a freedom fighter, a retired Major, a former Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh and a former ambassador to several countries, including Japan.

Ashraf Ud Doula. Sketch: TBS

The author is a retired major, a freedom fighter, a former secretary to the government of Bangladesh, and a former ambassador to several countries.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Business Standard.