Abe's ‘milestone’ visit awaited

Bangladesh is set to welcome a Japanese Prime Minister after 14 years.

Shinzo Abe will arrive in a special flight to a red carpet reception at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at about 1pm. His wife Akie Abe will accompany him.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will lead a rousing reception beginning with a guard of honour.

The visit comes just three months after Hasina’s Tokyo visit when both leaders launched a “comprehensive partnership”.

Dhaka's streets were a festive look, decorated with flags of both countries and portraits of both leaders.

Japan is the largest aid donor of Bangladesh.

Japan has alluded to “political and economic” interests in Bangladesh.

Its ambassador in Dhaka Shiro Sadoshima had said Bangladesh along with Myanmar occupies the “lynchpin position” in its grand design to combine the two oceanic regions –Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean –for more geo-political space to boost the Japanese economy.

UN seat

Japan's major interest is to seek Bangladesh support for its candidature for the non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council.

Bangladesh is the other contender for the post.
 

But as one country will be elected from Asia, Japan is luring Bangladesh to support its candidature.

Hasina during his Tokyo visit said Japanese people would definitely get “good news” during Abe’s visit to Dhaka.

“We always remember with gratitude the Japanese support… Japan is our tested friend and Bangladesh is ready to make any sacrifice for the tested friend,” she told Japanese media.

Bangladesh’s relations with Japan go back in history to the trying moments after the 1971 Liberation War.

Japan became the first developed nation to recognize Bangladesh within two months of its independence on Dec 16, 1971.

Soon after, Japan became the country’s largest bilateral development partner. Its assistance comes regularly as grant, aid, technical assistance, and soft loans. The total grants and aid reached $11 billion last year.

Investment

During Hasina's Tokyo visit, Abe pledged to give some 600 billion yen ($5.71 billion) in official development assistance over the next four to five years, starting in fiscal 2015.

But Dhaka is keen on direct investment.

The foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali briefing journalists said attracting Japanese investment would be their major target during Abe’s “milestone visit”.

So far, direct investment from Japan is not much to talk about.

Last year the inflow was only $100 million, though it was three times more than the previous year.

Ambassador Sadoshima believed Bangladesh never seriously looked towards East for its businesses, rather it focussed on European and North American markets.

Japan is planning to set up an exclusive economic zone for their businesses, an issue which will be discussed during Abe’s visit.

Abe who is known for his aggressive economic policy to revive Japan’s deflated economy will bring about 50 business executives in his 150-member entourage.

He will also deliver a lecture for businessmen of both countries.

Bangladesh believes this will inspire Japanese investors.

Dhaka wants Japanese investments particularly in energy and power, infrastructure development, IT, textiles and ready-made clothes, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles sectors, foreign minister Ali said.

Bangladesh has already agreed to give land to Japan for the proposed economic zone.

Japan wants to see its big companies coming over to Bangladesh to set up shop as they move out of China for various reasons.

Vietnam has already seized the opportunity.

Comprehensive partnership

Foreign minister Ali said it would give impetus of the comprehensive partnership both sides embarked during Hasina’svisit.

Japanese embassy in Dhaka did not issue any statement about the visit.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced Abe’s Bangladesh and Sri Lanka tour on Monday in Tokyo.

Suga hoped that this visit would also pave the way to expansion of Japanese trade and investment.

He said they hoped the visit would “commence the start of a comprehensive partnership between Japan and Bangladesh, in line with an agreement reached between Abe and Prime Minister Hasina in May”.

The Hasina-Abe joint comminique about their May meeting outlined engagements in three specific areas ---cooperation toward attaining global peace and stability, economic cooperation leading towards the promotion of mutual interest and regional prosperity, and promotion of cultural and people to people exchanges.

Both leaders will also issue a joint statement detailing further engagements after the Saturday’s summit meeting.

Itinerary

Abe will complete almost all of his engagements on Saturday, first day of his less than 22 hour stay in Dhaka.

He will go to the national martyrs’ memorial at Savar to pay respect to the liberation war martyrs from airport.

Then he will come to the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi to pay respect to the father of the nation.

After his summit meeting in the afternoon at PM’s office, he will call on President Md Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.

Leader of the opposition Raushon Ershad will meet him at the hotel before the banquet dinner that Hasina will host for her counterpart at Pan Pacific Hotel.

His wife will visit a missionary school, Baptist Mission Integrated School (BMIS), and Dhaka Nursing College on Saturday.

Abe will visit the Institute of Fine Arts on Sunday before leaving Dhaka at about 10.30 am for Colombo, in a first visit of a Japanese PM in 24 years.

Bangladesh is in the north of the Bay of Bengal, the largest bay that forms the north-eastern part of the India Ocean. Sri Lanka is to the west of the Bay.

China factor

However, Abe's visit would be closely observed by China, also a crucial partner of Bangladesh.

Indian new Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just concluded his maiden visit to Japan amid speculation that stronger Delhi-Tokyo ties might pose threat to Beijing.

China responded coolly, however. Rather its foreign ministry described India as a 'partner' after Modi refused to upgrade the bilateral security ties with Japan to a 2+2 status, keeping in mind Chinese sensibilities.

Its foreign ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said “both China and India are major countries that advocate for and follow the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and both nations pursue independent foreign affairs policies”.