BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

The Golden Jubilee of Bilateral Relations: Japanese Contribution in Achieving Development Goals of Bangladesh

Author: Shiblee Noman, Ashique Billah

DOI Link: https://www.doi.org/10.56888/BIISSj2022v44n1a4

ABSTRACT

This study investigates Japan’s contribution to attaining Bangladesh’s development visions in the last fifty years. As a development partner of Bangladesh, Japan has been playing a significant role in achieving Bangladesh’s desired economic goals. During the most challenging time, immediately after independence, the war-torn country got generous assistance from Japan through Official Development Assistance (ODA) to reconstruct its infrastructure and economy as well as social development and capacity building. In the last fifty years of the steady economic growth of Bangladesh, Japan had a thorough engagement in the most critical projects. The megaprojects in Bangladesh like the Metrorail project, Matarbari megaproject, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s expansion project, Special Economic Zone at Araihazar and many bridges and power stations played significant role in the development journey of the country. Bangladesh has successfully achieved Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The country is on track to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) to a middle-income country; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are ahead, and Perspective Plans are well set. Apart from those, Delta Plan and Vision 2041 designed to become a developed country are also some goals projected to be achieved with the assistance of Japan. In this respect, the paper explains the relations and contributions of Japanese ODA and Foreign Development Investment (FDI) in the development journey of Bangladesh. Given the precedents of warm historical bilateral ties, this paper also suggests both of the countries need to explore new avenues and enhance future relationship further i.e., cooperation in sustainable infrastructure development, enhancing trade and investments, cooperation in disaster management and climate change, global peacebuilding efforts, blue economy and maritime security, exchange of culture and people-to-people connectivity, and cooperate in sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas in Myanmar.