Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh SAIDA Shinichi held a meeting with Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin at his office at Bangladesh Secretariat today. Photo: PID

DHAKA, Nov 12, 2025 (BSS) - Japanese consortium (Sumitomo) has expressed its 
keen interest in participating in the operations and maintenance of the Third 
Terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in the capital.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh SAIDA Shinichi expressed such interest 
during a meeting with Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin at his office at 
Bangladesh Secretariat today.

During the meeting, both sides held detailed discussions on enhancing 
bilateral trade cooperation and reviewing progress on the airport's Third 
Terminal Construction Project.

Sk. Bashir Uddin, also the adviser on the Ministry of Civil Aviation and 
Tourism, described Japan as a trusted and important development partner in 
Bangladesh's journey towards progress, according to a Commerce Ministry press 
release.
 
"The successful conclusion of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) 
negotiations and the Japanese consortium (Sumitomo)'s interest in the airport 
infrastructure sector will further strengthen and energize our bilateral 
economic and trade relations," he said.

Expressing gratitude for Japan's cooperation in finalizing the EPA 
negotiations, the Adviser noted that the agreement is a milestone for 
Bangladesh. "The EPA will ensure duty-free and quota-free market access for 
Bangladeshi products to Japan, which will significantly boost our export 
competitiveness," he added.

Ambassador SAIDA Shinichi stated that the Japanese consortium Sumitomo is 
interested in taking part in the operations and maintenance of the Third 
Terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA). 

He said the consortium is eager to engage in discussions with the Civil 
Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) at the earliest opportunity.

"Japan has long been a steadfast partner in Bangladesh's development 
journey," the ambassador said, highlighting Japan's contributions through the 
EPA signing process, major infrastructure financing, technical cooperation, 
and human resource development support - all of which, he said, "reflect the 
dynamic and enduring partnership between the two nations."

Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Nasreen Jahan, First Secretary and Head 
of Economic and Development Affairs of the Embassy of Japan Karasawa Shinju 
and Country General Manager of Sumitomo Corporation Bangladesh Hironori 
Yamanaka were also present at the meeting.