Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has discussed possible cooperation with the Nippon Foundation in setting up a vaccine manufacturing plant in Bangladesh to help control infectious diseases.

The issue was discussed at a dinner hosted in honour of the Prime Minister by Yohei Sasakawa, honorary chairman of the Nippon Foundation and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, in Tokyo on Monday night.

“The discussions also covered possible cooperation in setting up a vaccine manufacturing plant in Bangladesh to help control infectious diseases,” Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin said.

The dinner was held at Hanagasumi Restaurant at Meiji Kinenkan, he said.

Prime Minister’s wife Dr Zubaida Rahman also attended the dinner.

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit, Prime Minister's Special Assistant for Overseas Employment in the Asia-Pacific Region Dr Md Shakirul Islam Khan and Protocol Officer-2 Kamrul Islam were present.

Nippon Foundation Executive Director Takashi Arikawa and other senior officials also attended the dinner.

During the dinner, Tarique Rahman recalled his meeting with Sasakawa in Dhaka in September and thanked him for his long-standing contributions to humanitarian assistance, education and public health sectors in Bangladesh.

Sasakawa paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister during his visit to Bangladesh in September.