Japan wants strategic partnership with Bangladesh: Envoy

Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki on Monday said his country wants a "strategic partnership" with Bangladesh in defence and security.

"We have a comprehensive partnership. We intend to elevate it. Hopefully, we can agree to call our partnership a strategic one," he said, referring to a likely discussion on the issue during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's forthcoming visit to Japan later this month.

"Then we will need new elements, new needs for our partnership," he said at an event, titled "Meet the Ambassador". The Centre for Governance Studies and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Bangladesh, jointly organised the programme at a restaurant in the capital.

Regarding new elements toward promoting the partnership, Ito Naoki said, "I think we can focus on more cooperation in defence and security."

"And also now we are looking at the possibility of exporting defence-related equipment to Bangladesh. A Japanese company is showing interest in exporting defence-related equipment." 

Regarding a free trade agreement (FTA) and an economic partnership agreement, he said, "If it's done, it is clearly the new element, new need of our partnership."   

"If Bangladesh exports reach $10 billion, if Japanese export is $10 billion correspondingly, then our two-way trade is climbing to $20 billion. And that is the kind of relationship we should look at," he added.

The Japanese diplomat described FTA and EPA as good vehicles, saying, "We are working on it, to initiate this joint study of FTA and EPA by prioritising the prime minister's visit."

"This EPA would provide a new framework of trade and investment. So it is going to be wider than FTA. That is our intention because that will be beneficial and useful for the two economies," he added.

Ito Naoki said domestic economic policy reform is needed to promote FTA and EPA.

He mentioned that the Bangladesh side needs to reduce the level of tariff on items which are exported from Japan – automobiles, or even chemicals, or agricultural products, under FTA, adding that "there would be an improvement of business environment".

Bangladesh will seek Japan's "stronger engagement" in its development efforts through "investment and financing" in major projects during Sheikh Hasina's forthcoming Tokyo visit slated for 29 November – 1 December at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

In 2014, then Japanese premier Shinzo Abe held a summit meeting with Sheikh Hasina in Tokyo. They jointly launched the "Bangladesh-Japan Comprehensive Partnership".

Japan hopes for free, fair and national election

The envoy said that his country expects a free, fair and participatory general election in Bangladesh.

"This is our strong hope," he reiterated while answering a question, adding that "in 2018, the Japan embassy even issued a statement of concern immediately after the general election. There was more focus on violence. But it's unusual that the Japanese embassy issued a statement of concern immediately after the election of any country."

He said, "So, naturally we expect that the next election to be better – free and fair. I heard there was an example of ballot box stuffing. Police officers stuff ballot boxes the previous night. I didn't hear of this example in any other country. So ballot box stuffing should never be repeated."  

Sharing Japan's vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), the envoy said this is something very comprehensive but not against any country or containment of any country.

Considering Bangladesh a partner of FOIP, he said infrastructure development, connectivity, maritime security and capacity building of security forces are part of the practical cooperation that they promote.

"I think Bangladesh is growing. You are graduating from LDC. So I think we should make our partnership even more mutually beneficial. We should be mindful that the nature of a partnership means to change for the future. Our cooperation also needs to be geared up."

Full-scale Rohingya repatriation unlikely now

Speaking on the Rohingya issue, Ito Naoki said it is unlikely to see a full-scale Rohingya repatriation anytime soon due to the situation in Myanmar at this moment.

"It'll be very difficult to see the repatriation of Rohingyas in full-scale soon. Unless you see an improvement of the situation in Myanmar, it'll be very difficult for us to see their repatriation to Myanmar," he said.

The ambassador said Japan is communicating with the Myanmar military. He added that Myanmar needs to halt violence, release detainees and restore democracy.

He, however, said a pilot repatriation of the Rohingyas could begin at this moment.

"More than five years have passed. The situation is very unfortunate. Repatriation is of course the priority," said the ambassador.

Zillur Rahman, executive director of the Centre for Governance Studies, moderated the programme.