The government has sought Japanese cooperation to transform Bangladesh into a regional aviation hub and strengthen connectivity and investment in the country’s aviation and tourism sectors.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat sought the cooperation during a courtesy meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh SAIDA Shinichi at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism in Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday.
The ambassador congratulated the minister on assuming office as a full-fledged minister, followed by detailed discussions on the government’s plans for developing the country’s civil aviation and tourism sectors, according to a statement.
The minister said Japan had been a trusted development partner of Bangladesh and the government wants its support in the country’s journey towards becoming an aviation hub.
He said the recently launched direct Dhaka-Narita flight operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines reflected Bangladesh’s growing interest and firm commitment to expanding connectivity and cooperation between the two countries.
Mr Millat said the government is committed to inaugurating the newly constructed Terminal-3 of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on schedule, making it essential to start the Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) process as soon as possible.
He said the techno-financial evaluation of the proposal submitted by the Japanese Sub-working Group (SWG) has already been completed, while negotiations are scheduled to begin next week.
Work was also underway at the ministry level on obtaining a Letter of Assurance for successful operation of the third terminal, and the minister expressed hope that all related processes would be completed soon.
The minister said Bangladesh has more than 500 heritage tourism sites, with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs jointly working for their development.
He added that the government wants to work with Japan under a public-private partnership model to promote Buddhist tourism and is taking initiatives to create a favourable investment environment for Japanese investors in the country’s tourism sector.
The minister also invited proposals from Japanese investors for developing heritage tourism in Bangladesh.
The ambassador reaffirmed Japan’s strong commitment to working closely with the Bangladesh government in implementing the current government’s election manifesto.
