Published : 16 May 2025, 02:23 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 12:58 PM
The Bangladesh government has requested additional soft loans and budget support from Japan, alongside an extension of the loan repayment period.
The requests were made during the sixth Foreign Office Consultation (FOC), which took place at the level of foreign secretaries from both countries in Tokyo on Thursday.
A media statement from the foreign ministry said, “Bangladesh has sought more Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans, an extension of the loan repayment period, and budget support from Japan.”
The Bangladesh delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Nazrul Islam, while the Japanese team was headed by Akahori Takeshi, senior foreign deputy minister of Japan.
According to the statement, Japan reiterated its strong support for the interim government and its reform initiatives, and said it was committed to continuing to support Bangladesh’s socio-economic progress.
Both sides agreed to deepen political trust, prioritise development strategies, and fully realise their “strategic partnership”.
The foreign ministry noted that Japan had positively accepted the request to provide duty-free and quota-free access for Bangladeshi products, even after the transition from the Least Developed Country (LDC) bracket.
Japan also expressed the intention to collaborate on facilitating access for Bangladeshi fruits and vegetables and to work on repatriation of Rohingya refugees, it added.
Both countries expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and hope to sign it this year.
The ministry said Japan will be more actively involved in ensuring high-quality infrastructure development in Bangladesh under the Bay of Bengal Initiatives (BIG-B).
Japan also mentioned plans to relocate factories and supply chains of Japanese entrepreneurs to Bangladesh.
The meeting also included discussions about the upcoming visit of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus to Japan, according to the statement.
