Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi has described the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) as a significant milestone achieved through sustained dialogue between the two countries.

Speaking at a seminar, he noted that it is Bangladesh’s first full-fledged EPA and Japan’s first Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with a least developed country.

The Ambassador emphasised that the agreement goes beyond tariff reductions and establishes rules and procedures to facilitate trade and investment, expressing hope that it will encourage greater foreign direct investment and strengthen Bangladesh’s industrial capabilities.

As Bangladesh and Japan move towards implementing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), policymakers and stakeholders are increasingly focusing on how the country can maximise the benefits of this new framework of economic cooperation.

The agreement is expected to expand trade, strengthen investment linkages, and support industrial upgrading while helping Bangladesh integrate more deeply into regional and global value chains.

Against this backdrop, the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), in partnership with the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh, organised the seminar titled “Maximising the Opportunities of the Bangladesh–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)” on Monday.

The event brought together policymakers, diplomats, academics, development partners, and business leaders from Bangladesh and Japan.

The seminar was organised in four segments: an inaugural session;
sessions on “Rethinking Development and Industrial Policy in Bangladesh” and “Exploring the Future Bangladesh–Japan Economic Cooperation in a Time of Transition”; and a concluding session, said the CPD.

Dr Fahmida Khatun, Executive Director of CPD, delivered the welcome remarks and chaired the seminar.

She highlighted that the EPA presents an important opportunity to deepen Bangladesh–Japan economic relations and move beyond traditional aid-driven cooperation towards a partnership centred on trade, investment, and technology collaboration.

Presenting CPD’s analysis of the agreement, she noted that enhanced market access and deeper economic cooperation could support export diversification and attract greater foreign investment, while emphasising that Bangladesh will need coordinated policies prioritising trade facilitation, industrial upgrading, and supportive fiscal measures to fully realise the agreement’s potential.

The seminar featured keynote presentations on Bangladesh’s development trajectory and lessons from international industrialisation experiences.

Dr Monzur Hossain, Member (Secretary) of the General Economics Division (GED) of the Bangladesh Planning Commission, discussed Bangladesh’s progress in industrial development while highlighting the policy challenges the country faces as it prepares for LDC graduation.

Drawing on international experiences, Professor Kenichi OHNO, Emeritus Professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), presented insights on industrial policy and structural transformation.

He emphasised the importance of strong institutions, policy learning, and effective
coordination between government and industry in achieving sustained industrial growth.

The second session focused on regional development experiences and the future prospects of Bangladesh–Japan economic cooperation.

Dr Yasushi UEKI, President of the Bangkok Research Centre of IDE-JETRO, highlighted lessons from industrial development in ASEAN and East Asia, explaining how infrastructure development, foreign direct investment, and supplier networks
helped countries integrate into global production systems.

Participants noted that the Bangladesh–Japan EPA represents an important milestone in the bilateral economic relationship.

At the same time, they emphasised that translating the agreement’s potential into tangible economic gains will require coordinated policy reforms, stronger institutional capacity, and sustained collaboration between government, industry, and development partners.