DHAKA, May 26, 2016 (BSS) – Bangladesh is expected to ink with Japan a
major credit deal worth US$2.5 billion for five mega projects during Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming Tokyo visit at the beginning of her 12-day
tri-nation tour from May 28, foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said today.
“During Prime Minister’s visit in Japan, the 40th ODA (Official Development
Assistance) worth US 2.5 billion will be signed between the two countries,”
Momen told a media briefing ahead of the premier’s tri-nation tour which
would take her to Saudi Arabia and Finland as well.
He said the amount was 35 percent higher than that of the last year’s ODA.
The minister said the five projects to be implemented with the Japanese ODA
are: Matarbari port development; Dhaka mass rapid transit development;
foreign direct investment promotion; energy efficiency and conservation
promotion financing; and Matarbari ultra super critical coal-fired power.
“Relations between Bangladesh and Japan have already been upgraded to
comprehensive partnership stage and Tokyo is increasing its assistance
gradually in communications, power and energy and industrialization process
of Bangladesh,” he said.
Momen said the Rohingya crisis was likely to largely feature the premier’s
tri-nation tour and particularly during her meeting with his Japanese
counterpart Shinzo Abe on May 29.
The bilateral meeting would be followed by the signing of the ODA deal when
the two premiers would issue a joint statement while in the evening on the
same day Abe would host an official dinner for Sheik Hasina at his residence.
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On May 30, The Prime Minister would deliver a keynote paper at Nikkei Inc’s
international conference titled “The Future of Asia”, to be joined by
Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad, Cambodian premier Hun Sen and Philippines
President Rodrigo Duterte.
Momen said Sheikh Hasina in her paper would emphasise the future of the
’emerging Asia’ and its potential, Bangladesh development process as well as
the Rohingya crisis.
“We are also trying to arrange a bilateral meeting between our prime
minister and Mahatir Mahammad on the sideline of the conference,” Momen said.
Besides, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asina will attend a business
roundtable with top Japanese entrepreneur while Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) Shinichi Kitawa will call on her.
Sheikh Hasina is also scheduled to address a gathering of expatriate
Bangladeshi living in Tokyo.
On May 31, the Prime Minister will depart from Japan for Jeddah as Saudi
Arabia is hosting the 14th session of the OIC’s Islamic Summit in Makkah.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be the lone women head of the government
at the OIC summit, to be attended by other heads of the governments of the
member states and numbers of observer countries,” Momen said.
The foreign minister said the Rohingya crisis will get extra priority among
the agendas of the summit. “we are hopeful that the summit would advance the
process of brining Rohingya issue to the International court of Justice for
establishing legal right of Rohingyas in Myanmar’s Arakan province,” he said.
Apart from attending the OIC summit, the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asina
will also perform Umrah at Makkah on June 1, Momen said.
On the morning of June 2, the Prime Minister will go to Madina and offer
Fateha at the Rawza Mubarak (shrine) of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH).
On June 3, Prime Minister will leave Saudi Arabia for Helsinki, Finland.
The Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with Finland President on
June 4.
Sheikh Hasina is expected to return home from Finland on June 8 after
taking a stopover at New Delhi.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam will accompany the
prime minister to Japan and Saudi Arabia while Foreign Minister AK Abdul
Momen will be in Jeddah before the premier’s arrival as he will attend OIC
foreign ministers’ meet before the OIC summit.