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Japan pledges biggest ever investment


Published : 20 May 2019 09:10 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 02:30 PM

Japan pledges to sign a Tk 2.5 billion annual development assistant agreement with Bangladesh during the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s scheduled visit next week.
This would be an increase of 35 percent against last years’ annual development assistance.
The deal would be inked through the scheduled signing of the 41st Official Development Assistance (ODA) agreement during her visit.
Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka Hiroyasu Izumi informed this to the prime minister while making a courtesy call on the PM at her official Ganobhaban residence on Monday morning.
“Strongly reiterating to continue its cooperation to Bangladesh’s economic development, the Japanese envoy reassured the PM of steady support of the country’s long-time development partner,” premier’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim told a media briefing on Monday noon.
He said, “The envoy told the premier that Tokyo’s financial assistance from now on would increase after the scheduled signing of the ODA agreement in next week.”
“The sum of assistance was likely to be $ 2.5 billion under the proposed agreement, an amount which would be 35 percent higher from that of the last year.
Informing the premier that her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe was eagerly waiting to receive her in Japan, the envoy particularly referred to his country’s interest for the development Matarbari Power Plant Project in Maheshkhali Upazila of Cox’s Bazar as the coal-fired 1200 MW plant was being developed with Japanese assistance.
The envoy, he said, congratulated the premier for her re-election in the last parliamentary election expecting her new tenure to be crucial for Bangladesh economy’s take off stage.
Sheikh Hasina described Japan to be a great friend of Bangladesh as she reviewed Tokyo’s contribution to the economic development of her country.
She particularly recalled the Japan’s assistance in constructing Rupsha Bridge.
Premier’s Principal Secretary M Nojibur Rahman, Principal Coordinator on SDG Affairs Md Abul Kalam Azad and PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hassan were present during the call on.