Japan volunteers celebrate 40-year tie

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) celebrated on Friday its volunteers’ 40-year contribution to Bangladesh with reminiscences and wishes.

Bangladesh’s single largest bilateral donor, Japan dispatched its volunteers to the war-ravaged country in August 1973, a year and a half after its independence.

So far more than 1150 volunteers have come to Bangladesh and worked in almost all sectors from rural development to health, education and environment.

Prime Minister’s Adviser for international affairs Gowher Rizvi extolled the volunteers for their ‘dedication and devotion’ for the benefit of the host country. “I have never seen this anywhere,” he said at the celebration.

Prime Minister’s Education, Social Development and Political Affairs adviser Alauddin Ahmed was also present at the ceremony where officials of various government sectors where the volunteers work had gathered.

The volunteers made a presentation of their activities with the help of games and quiz.

They said they wished to see Bangladesh a happy and prosperous country.

Japan started sending its volunteers to overseas countries in 1965. Currently they work in at least 72 countries in Asia, Africa, Middle East, Latin America and Oceania.

In Bangladesh, 70 volunteers are currently working in agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, mechanical maintenance and operation, civil engineering and architecture, community development, sports, education and culture, nutrition, health and family welfare, ICT, environmental education, and tourism.

They come and adopt Bangladesh’s lifestyle, culture and food habits and learn the language to work in far off villages.

JICA says their volunteers are “one of the most promising engines” of their assistance programmes.

“They are motivated and dedicated young people who wish to cooperate in the economic and social development of developing countries,” it says.

Yuko Tanaka, who worked as a volunteer in the 1980s, reflected this sentiment in her personal note in a JICA: “my life destined to live in Bangladesh”.

“When I realised, I’m related to this country. I think maybe I am destined to live here. I feel ‘perverse love’ for Bangladesh, which means I feel annoyed with someone saying something bad about this country,” she wrote.

Michika Koga, a volunteer who works under the Dhaka City Corporation to manage garbage, told bdnews24.com that she was moved by the hospitality of the Bangladeshi people that inspired her to work here.

“But people don’t understand they should not throw garbage just elsewhere,” she said as she tried to make people understand with campaigns showing photos and talking person to person.

“They understand and say yes I’ll do, but they forget,” she said, sharing her 12 months’ experience.

She said Bangladesh could be a Japan if people want it to be. “It’s all in the people”.

JICA says their volunteers introduced the hand-pump irrigation system in Bangladesh in 1979 and also the cultivation of watermelon, cucumber and Japanese raddish. Mushroom has also been introduced by their volunteers.

JICA Senior Representative Akio Okamura said their volunteers work with two mottos –contribution and friendship.

JICA Chief Representative Takao Toda said their every volunteer had their own story.

He said they were looking forward to celebrate 80 years in Bangladesh. “Development assistance may not be here that time, but international cooperation between us will be there,” he said.

He said 40 years later Bangladesh would be “one of the richest countries hand-in-hand with Japan and we are the partner in that process”.

Bangladesh is the seventh largest recipient of loans under Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA).

JICA has committed $1.8 billion ODA loan to Bangladesh this year, the largest commitment so far.