UNB, Tokyo :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday expressed her high hope that the overall excellent cooperative ties between Bangladesh and Japan will deepen further in the future.
“The overall cooperative ties between Bangladesh and Japan will get stronger in the coming days,” she said while inaugurating the newly built chancery complex of Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.
Referring to her bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinjo Abe in Nagoya on Saturday, Sheikh Hasina said her Japanese counterpart assured her that Japan would remain beside Bangladesh for its overall development. She said Bangladesh put forward some development proposals during the meeting with Abe.
Secretary general of Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship League Ichiro Tasukada, MP and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Seiji Kihara also spoke during the programme, while Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Rabab Fatima delivered the welcome address. Sheikh Hasina recalled Japan’s contributions to the War of Liberation in 1971, particularly the raising of fund, by Japanese children saving their tiffin money to support Bangladesh at that time.
After the independence, she said Japan came up with all sorts of support to rebuild the war-ravaged country. “The Japanese government and the people of the country extended their supporting hand to us,” she said.
The Prime Minister said, Bangladesh has always got cooperation from Japan in its all development activities. Japan has immense contributions towards constructing Hotel Sonargaon, Jamuna Bridge, Rupsha Bridge and Padma Bridge,” she mentioned. Hasina said Japan is constructing the coal-based power plant at Matarbari in Moheshkhali of Cox’s Bazar district while it is also providing help for metro-rail project and other infrastructural development of Bangladesh. “I see the beautiful property here representing the state of our vibrant and growing relations with Japan. I hope our ties with Japan will grow stronger and deeper in the years to come,” Mentioning that Japan is one of the closest friendly countries and the largest development partners of Bangladesh, she said, “We’re indeed very proud to have our own address at the heart of historic city of Tokyo.”
She said, to pay gratitude to the Japanese nation – Bangabandhu visited Japan in 1973. The Prime Minister said she would be returning from a very fruitful visit to Ise-Shima as she regard her participation in the Ise-Shima Summit as a recognition of the G7 and the global community of the responsible role and important contribution that her country is making in the field of development, women’s empowerment, and to regional and global peace and security issues. “I truly appreciated the opportunity to share our development experience, especially on poverty eradication, health, education and women’s empowerment and I believe that all of us carry back important reflections and ideas, and commitments. I would like to thank again Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for inviting me,” she said. PM’s younger sister Sheikh Rehana and Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali were present. The 714-square meter chancery building was constructed at a cost of Tk 100 crore. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the building on November 28, 2010 during her visit in Japan.
