No Japan advisory against Bangladesh travel anymore, says Finance Minister Muhith

Japan has lifted its advisory against travel to Bangladesh, Finance Minister  AMA Muhith told journalists at the Secretariat on Sunday.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 12 Dec 2016, 04:04 AM
Updated : 12 Dec 2016, 04:04 AM

“I have met Japan’s Finance Minister Taro Aso during my three-day state visit to that country. He said there was no need for a discussion because the government has already removed the advisory.

“There is no longer any reservation in Japan about the situation in Bangladesh. So we’ll just have to wait and see how this works out.”

He said he has informed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina about Japan’s decision soon after his return.

Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an advisory on travel to Bangladesh after a citizen Kunio Hoshi was killed by gunmen in Rangpur last year.

Then on Jul 1, seven Japanese nationals were among 20 hostages killed by Islamist gunmen who seized Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery for a deadly attack aimed at foreigners.

All seven, five men and two women, were consultants for Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA, working on various projects in Bangladesh.

Another Japanese who was with those killed managed to survive after hiding in the bushes beside the restaurant’s lawn.

“Since July 1,  we were meeting Japanese officials in third countries," said the finance minister.

“My first meeting this time was with the president of JICA. He said there was not much to discuss since there was no worrying issue involving Bangladesh.

“He said they don’t necessarily care about restrictions but are bound by them. Bangladesh to them is an open country.”

Japan, Bangladesh’s biggest development partner, is funding large-scale projects including the project for Dhaka’s first metrorail.  

Six of the victims in Holey Artisan militant attack were consultants for the metrorail project.