Online Desk :

A Bangladesh delegation led by Minister for Housing and Public Works R.A.M. Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury on Thursday met Senior Vice President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Kawamura Kenichi at the JICA Headquarter in Tokyo.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Shahabuddin Ahmed, Secretary to Ministry of Housing and Public Works Md. Nabirul Islam and Economic Minister of the Embassy Syed Nasir Ershad were present in the delegation, among others.

During the meeting, the Housing and Public Works Minister expressed gratitude to Japan for being one of the first countries to recognize Bangladesh as a nation-state soon after the independence.

The minister said the foundation of bilateral relations between the two friendly countries was strengthened in 1973 through the official visit of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to Japan.

He referred to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visits to Japan at different times to improve the relations between the two countries and said that Bangladesh-Japan relations have been upgraded to strategic partnership through the Prime Minister’s visit to Japan in April 2023.

The minister appreciated JICA’s expertise and support that is playing a crucial role in the development of Bangladesh.

He mentioned the Japanese model of earthquake-resilient urban infrastructure development and expected more support from JICA to replicate Japanese experience and expertise in the development of housing and urban sectors in Bangladesh.

Senior Vice President of JICA Kawamura Kenichi welcomed the Minister for Housing and Public Works at the JICA headquarter.

He thanked the Government of Bangladesh for the installation of the Peace Monument in Nagasaki and said that it is aligned with the shared vision of a peaceful world without nuclear weapons. He assured full cooperation in the smooth implementation of JICA’s ongoing projects in Bangladesh.

Officials from Bangladesh Embassy and JICA were present at the meeting.