The upcoming visit of Bangladesh's Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, to Japan signifies a deepening strategic partnership. Both governments are gearing up to announce major infrastructure, trade and human-resource projects. Together these will boost economic growth and strengthen regional ties - benefiting Bangladesh's development goals and Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision. The visit - featuring Yunus at the Nikkei Future of Asia forum and possibly meeting Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba- is highly symbolic, linking Bangladesh's innovation story (Yunus won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for "economic and social development) with Japan's diplomatic outreach.
Japan is financing landmark infrastructure to transform Bangladesh's connectivity. For example, a Japanese-funded deep-sea port is being built at Matarbari. This long-awaited project - developed by a Japanese consortium with a JICA loan - will allow Bangladesh to host "mother" container ships directly. Once complete, Matarbari can handle ships up to 100,000 deadweight tons and will cut reliance on transshipment hubs.
Likewise, Bangladesh's capital has already got its first mass transit system with Japanese aid. The Dhaka Metro Rail (MRT Line-6) - largely funded by JICA loans - has reduced chronic traffic congestion and MRT Line-1 is under construction. Japan also backs the expansion of Dhaka's airport: a new Terminal 3 is under construction with Japanese ODA financing. This terminal will boost Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's capacity from 8 million to 20 million passengers per year.
Another cornerstone is the Araihazar Japanese Economic Zone near Dhaka. Set to be completed by end-2025, this Special Economic Zone (also called Bangladesh Special Economic Zone, BSEZ) provides international-standard industrial facilities. Japanese investment is invited to this 405-hectare park, and indeed Japan even provided roughly US$350 million in loans to build it.
Each of these showcases Japanese quality infrastructure and financing. They illustrate Japan's pledge of $6 billion ODA back in 2014 to deepen ties, and they fulfill the Big B vision to cluster industry along Bangladesh's Bay of Bengal coast.
Japan and Bangladesh are deepening trade ties and encouraging investment. In early 2024, they launched negotiations for a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).According to Japan's Foreign Ministry, a high-level EPA would "strengthen economic relations, including the expansion of trade and investment between the two countries." In practice, this could mean better access for Bangladeshi products in Japan (beyond garments to pharmaceuticals, IT and agro-goods) and more Japanese capital flowing into Bangladesh's industries.
At the same time, Japanese companies are increasingly relocating production from China to Bangladesh to diversify supply chains. Japanese ambassador Naoki Ito notes that the number of Japanese firms in Bangladesh has "tripled in 10 years" (now around 300 companies). On the Bangladeshi side, officials are urging export diversification: for instance, Japan has agreed to work on improved market access for Bangladesh's fruits, vegetables and light-engineering goods.
Japan is financing landmark infrastructure to transform Bangladesh's
connectivity. For example, a Japanese-funded deep-sea port is being
built at Matarbari. This long-awaited project - developed by a Japanese
consortium with a JICA loan - will allow Bangladesh to host "mother"
container ships directly.
Beyond steel and contracts, Japan-Bangladesh cooperation has a human dimension. Thousands of Bangladeshis already work or train in Japan, and this is set to grow. For years, young Bangladeshis have gone to Japan under the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP), learning skills in manufacturing and services. Now attention is also on social services. An official Memorandum of Understanding with Japan's International Manpower Organization (IM Japan) will send trained Bangladeshi caregivers to Japan's eldercare sector.
Bangladesh is also exploring new pathways for nurses and technical specialists. People-to-people programs - whether technical internships in factories or healthcare visas for skilled workers - are expanding. They serve both nations: Japan addresses labor shortages in healthcare and industry, while Bangladesh gains by building human capital and diversifying migrant remittances. These exchanges are frequently highlighted by diplomats (as at the FOC meetings) as evidence of deepening "human resourcecooperation."
The Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B) and Japan's Indo-Pacific Vision
All these projects and agreements fit into a larger geostrategic framework known as the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt, or Big B. It envisions Bangladesh as an industrial hub straddling South and Southeast Asia. In practice, Big B means linking ports (like Matarbari), roads, bridges and factories along the Dhaka-Chittagong-Cox's Bazar corridor. Japan frames Big B as a way to "accelerate industrial agglomeration" using Japanese technology and know-how, so that Bangladesh becomes a "gateway" for regional trade.
This initiative dovetails neatly with Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision. FOIP emphasizes secure, rules-based maritime and economic networks across Asia. By committing to Big B projects, Japan is effectively extending FOIP into the Bay of Bengal region. Japanese officials have explicitly said they will "step up engagement" under Big B, funding "high-quality infrastructure" and encouraging Japanese companies' value chains to reach Bangladesh. The foreign ministry notes that these efforts align with Japan's broader FOIP objectives and its goal of "sustainable development of the region."
In conclusion, the forthcoming Japan-Bangladesh meetings and Yunus's trip will highlight a "Strategic Partnership" that yields tangible gains. For Bangladesh, this means modern infrastructure, new industries and expanded markets. For Japan, it means stable trade, diversified supply chains and a friendly beacon in South Asia, fully integrated into the vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. The cooperative ventures - from Matarbari Port to Japanese-backed factories in Araihazar - illustrate how economic diplomacy can tangibly improve lives: jobs are created, products flow more freely, and people acquire skills.
The writer is a Lecturer, Department of Business Administration, Rabindra Maitree University, Kushtia
