On Monday, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), Tokyo’s official development organization, celebrated the 50th anniversary of its cooperation with Bangladesh, a partnership that has played a significant role in shaping the country’s development landscape.
Jica organized a commemorative event at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka, attended by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal and Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh IWAMA Kiminori, among other dignitaries. High-ranking government officials, agency heads, and development partners were also present at the ceremony.
Japan is Bangladesh’s largest bilateral development partner, and its partnership with Jica has evolved and strengthened over the past five decades.
Some of the landmark projects supported by Jica include the Moheshkhali-Matarbari Integrated Infrastructure Development Initiative, which includes the Matarbari deep-sea port, the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Projects for three Dhaka metro lines, the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Expansion Project, the second Kanchpur, Meghna, and Gumti Bridges Construction Project, the Project for Bangladesh Special Economic Zone in Araihazar, and the Bridges Rehabilitation and Constructions Projects.
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Over the 50 years, Jica’s cooperation has also extended to education, health, agriculture, rural development, governance improvement, private sector development, disaster risk reduction, water supply and sanitation, solid waste management, and power and energy.
Jica provided JPY 3,285 billion (approximately $22 billion) for official development assistance (ODA) loans to date, JPY 144 billion (approximately $965 million) for grant aid until 2022, JPY 104 billion (about $699 million) for technical cooperation until 2022, and JPY 25 billion (approximately $166 million) for private sector investment finance to date (in loan and equity). The agency has also provided training and education opportunities to over 14,000 public servants and deployed 1,286 Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteers.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal praised Japan’s support to Bangladesh, saying, “Japan is the ideal example for us and the entire world. Our communities will sustain and develop with Jica and Japan’s support. Japan is our time-tested friend, and we hope our cooperation will help the country attain all the goals.”
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ICHIGUCHI Tomohide, chief representative of Jica, highlighted the friendship between Japan and Bangladesh and said, “Throughout the 50-year journey, Jica has cooperated in many different areas and sectors through technical cooperation, concessional loans, grant aid, volunteers, and other schemes as a trusted friend to Bangladesh. Jica has always focused on capacity development of government officials, inclusive development, livelihood improvement, and infrastructure with the aim of contributing to the social and economic development of Bangladesh and strengthening the friendship between Bangladesh and Japan.”
ITO Teruyuki, director general of the South Asia Division at Jica Headquarters, outlined some of the major Jica-supported projects in Bangladesh, noting that “Jica has provided a cumulative total of more than 3 trillion Japanese yen, equivalent to more than 20 billion US dollars. Now, Bangladesh has become one of the top three loan recipient countries in the world in our portfolio.”
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Sharifa Khan, senior secretary of the Economics Relations Division, expressed her gratitude, saying, “Within the last 50 years, Japan’s cooperation has spread to every corner of Bangladesh. Japan has a presence in all 15 sectors of the country. Japan is now the highest bilateral development partner of Bangladesh. Jica has been very cooperative and open to new initiatives for the development of the country. Thus, I want to convey my gratitude to the Japanese government for all the support over the last 50 years.”
The 50th anniversary of Jica in Bangladesh reaffirms the enduring commitment to a brighter future for the people of Bangladesh and signifies the strength of a long partnership, promising continued support for the nation’s development in the years to come.
