Photo: Collected
As part of his visit to Japan, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has visited Toyota’s Motomachi plant in Nagoya.
During the visit to the plant around 12 noon local time on Thursday, he toured the car assembly process. The prime minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Swadhin disclosed the information.
Present during the visit were Masahiko Maeda, chief executive officer (CEO) of Toyota Motor Corporation’s South Asia region, Shigeru Harada, CEO of Toyota Tsusho Corporation’s Mobility Division, the company’s chief operating officer (COO) Shinichiro Otsuka and other senior officials concerned.
Among those accompanying the prime minister at the time were his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, Minister of State for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit, Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and ICT and Science and Technology Rehan Asif Asad, the prime minister’s Special Assistant on Overseas Employment in the Asia-Pacific Region Dr Md Shakirul Islam Khan, the prime minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atiqur Rahman Ruman and Research Officer Abdus Sattar Patwary.
Background
According to a report by The Daily Star Bangla of 23 October 2026, the foreign ministries of the two countries had announced the dates of the prime minister’s visit to Japan as 26 to 29 October.
Citing a Nikkei report, the same report said Japan will arrange 1 trillion yen of investment in Bangladesh’s private sector over five years, with the automobile sector among its targets; however, The Daily Star said it could not independently verify the report.
At a glance
According to Toyota’s history website, the first car from the Motomachi plant, the ‘Crown’, rolled out on 8 August 1959. It was Japan’s first plant built exclusively for manufacturing passenger cars, and its launch nearly doubled Toyota’s production capacity.
Sources
Background sources: The Daily Star Bangla, 23 October 2026; Toyota Global, date not stated
