Tarique Rahman-Sanae Takaichi to meet in Tokyo
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will hold bilateral talks with his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on October 27, with a focus on strengthening bilateral ties, expanding economic cooperation and attracting Japanese investment to Bangladesh.
Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam announced the schedule at a briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday (October 20), outlining the Prime Minister's four-day official visit to Japan beginning on October 26.
The visit, scheduled for October 26–29 at Takaichi's invitation, was formally announced by Dhaka and Tokyo on Tuesday.
Siam said the Prime Minister would lead the Bangladesh delegation at the high-level bilateral meeting at the Japanese Prime Minister's Office on October 27, the second day of the visit. Takaichi will also host a luncheon in his honour.
The foreign secretary said the two sides were discussing draft memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and cooperation agreements covering agriculture, fisheries, human resource development, skills training, domestic aviation, trade, environmental conservation and local government modernisation.
"We hope that many of these MoUs will be signed during the visit," he said.
Siam said the visit would provide an opportunity to deepen the existing strategic partnership and expand cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
He noted that the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), signed in February 2026, had opened new opportunities for bilateral trade and investment.
Discussions will focus on implementing the agreement, improving access for Bangladeshi products to the Japanese market, attracting Japanese investment and strengthening business ties, he said.
Renewable energy, agriculture, science and technology, digital transformation, skills development and human resource training will also feature in the discussions.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Forum.
His tentative programme also includes meetings with the Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship League and the chairman of the Japan-Bangladesh Committee for Commercial and Economic Cooperation.
Meetings are also being planned with the heads of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and Sasakawa Peace Foundation.
Siam said the Prime Minister was also expected to visit energy and industrial facilities, including an LNG terminal, a power plant and a Toyota manufacturing facility in the Nagoya region. The itinerary has yet to be finalised.
The foreign secretary described Japan as one of Bangladesh's key development partners, citing its support for major infrastructure projects, including Dhaka's metro rail network, the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and the Matarbari development projects.
He said the visit was expected to help accelerate ongoing projects, attract fresh private investment and strengthen economic, development and security cooperation between the two countries.
Japanese support for establishing factories in Bangladesh, creating jobs and developing skilled human resources would receive particular attention, in line with the Prime Minister's priorities, he added.
Beyond bilateral issues, Siam said the two leaders would discuss regional and international peace and stability, a lasting and peaceful resolution of the Rohingya crisis, cooperation in addressing the global energy crisis and efforts to end international conflicts.
In April, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman joined a Japan-led virtual summit on energy resilience at Takaichi's invitation, where Bangladesh welcomed regional cooperation to address energy supply challenges.