Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today outlined his government’s initiatives, including legal reforms, to create a business-friendly environment for foreign investors and highlighted measures to promote education and skills development during a meeting with a high-level Japanese parliamentary delegation.

The delegation of the Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship League (JBPFL), led by its president and former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, met the Prime Minister at Hotel Imperial in Tokyo at 3:00pm local time.

Both sides emphasised the need to further strengthen political and economic ties as well as people-to-people contacts between Bangladesh and Japan.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister said his government had undertaken several initiatives to create a business-friendly environment for foreign investors, including legal reforms. He also outlined government initiatives in education and skills development.

In the context of the proposed Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Bangladesh and Japan, Tarique Rahman sought Tara Aso’s cooperation in increasing Japanese investment in Bangladesh, expanding bilateral trade and strengthening technology transfer.

He also expressed the hope that Japan would continue to support Bangladesh in implementing its development priorities and developing a skilled workforce.

Tarique Rahman thanked Tara Aso for his continued contribution to strengthening friendly relations between Bangladesh and Japan through his leadership of the parliamentary friendship league.

Tarique Rahman recalled meeting Tara Aso during his visit to Japan in 2006, when he was the senior joint secretary general of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The former Japanese premier also recalled his meeting with former Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

The premier said Tara Aso had consistently played a positive and constructive role in advancing bilateral relations while serving in various important positions, including as Japan’s prime minister, deputy prime minister and finance minister.

His long standing personal engagement with Bangladesh had contributed significantly to further strengthening the friendship between the two countries, he added.

Commenting on Bangladesh’s investment prospects, Taro Aso said a large proportion of the country’s population was young and that the current political stability had created a favourable environment for investment. 

Japanese companies were highly interested in investing in Bangladesh, he added. 

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and Science and Technology Rehan Asif Asad, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Overseas Employment in the Asia-Pacific region Md. Shakhawat Hossen Rubel and Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon were present, among others.

The Japanese delegation included former minister and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) chairman Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japanese Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tatsunori Ibayashi, and senior members of the Japanese parliament.