Japan rolls out red carpet as Hasina kicks off three-state tour

She is supposed to sign eight MoUs with Japan on her trip

Japan rolled out a red carpet to welcome Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who arrived in Tokyo on a four-day visit at the invitation of her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported.

A special jet of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying Hasina and an entourage landed at the Haneda International Airport, Tokyo at 4:45pm local time on Tuesday.

Yamada Kenji, Japanese state minister for foreign affairs, and Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Shahabuddin Ahmed received her at the airport where Hasina received a guard of honour, the BSS added.

Earlier, the flight departed from Shahjalal International Airport at 7:56am, kicking off the first leg of her 15-day official visit to Japan, the US and the UK.

A 30-minute ceremonial motorcade ride took her to the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo where she will stay during her visit to the East Asian country.

“Nearly eight MoUs are likely to be signed between the two countries," Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said at a foreign ministry briefing on Monday.

He said deals will include topics ranging from agriculture, metro rail, industrial upgrade, ship recycling, customs matters, intellectual properties to defence cooperation, ICT and cyber security cooperation.

Momen said Hasina would pay a courtesy call on Emperor Naruhito on April 26.

On the same day, she will hold a bilateral meeting with Kishida after the signing of the deals.

The meeting will conclude with a dinner at the residence of the Japanese premier, Momen added.

Hasina is also scheduled to attend an investment summit and a community reception on her trip to Japan.

She will also hand over the "Friends of Liberation War Honour" to four Japanese nationals for their contribution to Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971, Momen said.

On April 27, Hasina will deliver a speech as chief guest at a Bangladesh business summit jointly organised by Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority and JETRO in Tokyo.

Later that evening, she will join the event to be organised by the Bangladeshi expatriates in Japan.

During her visit in Tokyo, Hasina will also attend several additional bilateral meetings, including with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, leaders of JAICA, JETRO, JEBIC, JBPFL and JBCCEC.

She will also meet the late former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe's wife Akie Abe and a Japanese architect, Tadao Ando.

Japan's state television NHK will air an interview of Hasina as well.

The prime minister will arrive in Washington on May 1 from Tokyo to attend a ceremony marking a 50-year partnership between Bangladesh and the World Bank.

On May 4, Momen said, Hasina would leave Washington for London to attend the coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.

The prime minister is scheduled to return to Dhaka on May 9.