PM to visit Japan from 26 October at Takaichi’s invitation, Japanese embassy hopes for stronger strategic partnership
Economic cooperation between the two countries will gain fresh momentum, bilateral investment will grow and business confidence will strengthen further: this is what Tokyo hopes for from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit to Japan. Japan is placing special emphasis on taking cooperation further in investment, infrastructure development and creating a business-friendly environment.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will pay an official visit to Japan from 26 to 29 October at the invitation of the country’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The two governments formally announced the visit on 20 October.
Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam told a press briefing at the foreign ministry that on the second day of the visit, 27 October, Tarique Rahman will hold a high-level bilateral meeting with Sanae Takaichi at the Japanese prime minister’s office in Tokyo. The Japanese prime minister will host a luncheon in honour of the Bangladesh prime minister that day.
This is Tarique Rahman’s first visit to Japan as prime minister. Replying to a question from BSS, the economic section of the Japanese embassy in Dhaka welcomed the visit and said it hopes the visit will further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Japan believes the visit will create an opportunity to take cooperation further towards regional peace and security and the shared prosperity of the two countries. It will allow the two countries to reaffirm their shared priorities and also to discuss how bilateral cooperation can become more effective in helping Bangladesh achieve its development goals.
On economic cooperation, the embassy’s economic section said investor sentiment towards Bangladesh is improving as a result of the new government’s business-friendly policies. Japan is also giving special importance to improving the investment climate, widening the scope of cooperation in infrastructure and building human resources and institutional capacity.
The prime minister will deliver the keynote speech at the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Forum. Investment opportunities, trade expansion and industrial cooperation will also feature in his talks with Japanese business leaders.
His tentative schedule also includes meetings with representatives of the Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship League and the Japan-Bangladesh Committee for Commercial and Economic Cooperation.
In addition, the prime minister is scheduled to meet the president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the president of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the chairman of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.
Visits to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and power plant in Futtsu city of Chiba Prefecture, Uniqlo’s headquarters and a Toyota factory in Nagoya are also on the tentative programme.
Attracting new Japanese investment, expanding bilateral trade and speeding up ongoing development projects will receive particular attention during the visit. Effective implementation of the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), signed in February 2026, and ways to widen market access for Bangladeshi products in Japan are also expected to be discussed.
According to the foreign secretary, memoranda of understanding may be signed, or cooperation announced, in a range of areas during the visit, including agriculture, fisheries, human resource development, skills development, civil aviation, trade, environmental protection and the modernisation of local government.
In line with the prime minister’s priorities, detailed discussions are also expected on Japanese cooperation in setting up factories in Bangladesh, creating jobs and developing human resources.
Beyond bilateral economic issues, the talks may also cover regional and international peace and stability, a sustainable and peaceful solution to the Rohingya crisis and stronger cooperation in tackling the energy crisis.
The embassy’s economic section further said the visit will provide an opportunity to discuss ways to remove obstacles to investment, boost business confidence and lay a strong foundation for future economic initiatives.
Japan has also stressed that decisions and commitments made at the high-level meeting should be implemented effectively. It believes that, besides identifying shared priorities in the talks, it is essential to properly implement the follow-up steps to reap their real benefits. Japan welcomed the visible progress made in ongoing areas of cooperation, saying that real improvement in existing initiatives would help boost business confidence and encourage new investment.
Since independence, Japan has been one of Bangladesh’s main development partners. The country has made a major contribution to building infrastructure, developing human resources and strengthening institutional capacity. Dhaka’s metro rail, the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and infrastructure development in the Matarbari area are among the notable projects implemented with Japanese cooperation.
The strategic partnership established between the two countries in 2023 is expected to gain fresh momentum from the prime minister’s visit. Investment, trade, infrastructure development, technology transfer and human resource development will be at the heart of the two countries’ joint economic priorities.
Background
According to a press release from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Partnership Agreement was signed on 6 February 2026, by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Horii Iwao for Japan and Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin for Bangladesh. Negotiations on the agreement began in 2024.
At a glance
According to the same METI release, the EPA eliminates tariffs on a wide range of goods, including steel, auto parts, textiles and electronic components, and also includes rules on investment, trade in services, e-commerce, intellectual property, customs procedures and trade facilitation.
Sources
Background source: Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), 6 February 2026
