Newsletter No. 1382
News-Analysis
June 17, 2009

 

The following newsletter has been contributed by Ridwan Khan (Shingetsu Member No. 181). Khan is a graduate of Emory University who lives in Yokohama.

BANGLADESH ENVOY CALLS FOR INCREASED JAPANESE INVESTMENT

Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Special Envoy from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, visited Japan from June 8th to the 11th. During his visit, he met with Prime Minister Aso, to whom he hand delivered a letter from Hasina, as well as State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Seiko Hashimoto and other governmental officials. On this trip Mahmud called on Japan to increase investment in Bangladesh.

According to the Japan Times, Mahmud praised Japan as “the biggest aid contributor to Bangladesh,” adding that Bangladeshis “are pro-Japanese." That said, he also expressed hope for more direct investment from Japan into Bangladesh. Mahmud also asked for more aid for Bangladeshi infrastructure, including the construction of an underground tunnel, environmental redevelopment, energy issues, and construction of the Padma Bridge.

NEWS BRIEFS

Aid Programs: In Dhaka, twenty young Bangladeshi officials have been chosen from 269 candidates to obtain masters degrees in Japan through the Japan Development Scholarship program, while the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has committed to bringing more Bangladeshi students to Japan to pursue higher education. Six Japanese volunteers from the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) also arrived in Dhaka. The new volunteers will aid Bangladesh in the areas of infection control, rural development, and automobile maintenance for the Underprivileged Children Education Program. There are now over a thousand JOCV volunteers in Bangladesh.

Kazi Tea: Bangladesh has also begun to export tea to Japan through the Kazi Tea company. While Kazi mainly exports to Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and some West Asian states, Kazi Tea is hoping to compete with Sri Lanka as a major tea exporter by expanding its market.

Printing Industry: Japan-Bangladesh Security Printing and Papers Ltd. has begun printing documents, like checks, demand drafts, and other secure printing materials. The company now employs eight hundred people in its factory at Narayanganj, and by 2012 expects to employ 70,000. 30% of the company’s total investment into the Narayanganj factory belongs to Japanese investors, while another 51% belongs to local business interests.