Japan to sign $2.5 billion ODA for Bangladesh during Hasina’s visit

Japan, a key development partner of Bangladesh, is set to sign $2.5 billion official development assistance (ODA) during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit on May 28-30.

This will be her first visit to Japan after she came to power for the third successive term.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen briefing reporters on Sunday said Japan is expanding its assistance to Bangladesh in communication, power and electricity and industrialisation.

This will be the 40th ODA to be signed and the amount will be 35 percent more than the last ODA, he said.

Matarbari Port Development project, Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line 1), Foreign Direct Investment Development Project (II), Energy Efficiency and Conservation Promotion Financing Project (Phase-2), and Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal-Fired Power Project (V) are the areas under the new ODA, Momen said.

During her visit, the prime minister will have a bilateral meeting with her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe. She will also attend a business roundtable with top businessmen. The president of Japan’s development arm, JICA, will also call on the prime minister.

Hasina will be the keynote speaker at a conference, “The Future of Asia”, organised by Nikkei Inc in Tokyo.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte will also speak at the conference.

From Tokyo, Hasina will go to Jeddah to attend the OIC summit on May 31 and will then go to Finland. She will return to Dhaka on June 8.