State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Friday said Bangladesh and Japan discussed the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B) concept exclusively in the context of their bilateral economic partnership, ruling out any discussion involving a third country.

“There is no reference to any third country in the joint statement. There is no reference to the Bay of Bengal here. We will not discuss any third country in our discussions with Japan. That’s clear. And we did not do that,” he said, referring to the joint statement issued following Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s four-day official visit to Japan.

Speaking at a media briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kobir said Bangladesh had made it clear to Japan that the discussions would focus on bilateral relations, particularly economic ties.

“We made it very clear in our discussions with the government of Japan that we came here to discuss bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Japan, economic relations in particular,” he said while responding to a question about whether BIG-B could be expanded into a regional industrial supply chain centred around the Matarbari deep seaport, involving Nepal, Bhutan and India's Seven Sisters.

Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, who is set to become the next Foreign Secretary, and Additional Foreign Secretary (Public Diplomacy and Other Priority Matters) AKM Shahidul Karim were also present at the briefing.

Kobir said Bangladesh understands its responsibility when it comes to engaging other countries in regional initiatives.

“If we have to discuss anything else, then the respective representatives of those countries must be at the table, and we must be sitting across the table with them as well,” he said.

The State Minister also clarified that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit to an LNG terminal in Japan was not aimed at importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the country.

The Prime Minister visited the facility to see how an LNG terminal is designed, developed and operated, as Bangladesh is also considering setting up such a terminal, he said.

“Japan has done it, and it is a proven example. So the purpose of that field visit was to see how it looks, how they have done it and how it is working, to get an idea for ourselves,” Kobir said.

Regarding the proposed Japanese economic mission to Bangladesh, he said it would be sent soon following joint ministerial-level meetings between the two countries.

“They will send an economic mission soon. So, at a time of mutual convenience, that mission will be sent,” the State Minister said.

On the Rohingya issue, Kobir said Bangladesh would continue to raise the matter at international forums, both bilaterally and multilaterally, describing it as an important national security concern and a key foreign policy priority.

“Wherever we go internationally, be it bilateral or multilateral, this is an important national security matter for us, an important foreign policy priority for us. So we will discuss this,” he said.

The State Minister said Bangladesh was building a respectful bilateral economic partnership with Japan, describing it as an investment-driven partnership.

Against the backdrop of the rapidly changing global situation, increasing supply chain risks, rapid technological innovation and mounting social challenges, Bangladesh and Japan agreed to upgrade BIG-B to “BIG-B for Shared Prosperity” as an initiative of “strategic cooperation” under the exclusive partnership between the two countries.

Responding to a question, Kobir said there was no scope for the government to go against the interests of the country and its people.

The Prime Ministers of Bangladesh and Japan held a summit in Tokyo on October 27, followed by a joint press event and a luncheon. The two leaders issued a “Japan-Bangladesh Joint Statement” after the summit.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi congratulated Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on assuming office, describing him as a friend who shares the values of democracy.

She said that, amid growing global instability, Japan strongly supported Bangladesh's ability to make its own decisions and its resilience under the updated “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” vision and intended to further develop bilateral relations under the “Strategic Partnership”.

She also expressed her intention to work with Prime Minister Rahman towards peace and prosperity in the region.

In response, Prime Minister Rahman said Japan had followed the path of a peace-loving nation and was among the first countries to recognise Bangladesh’s independence.

He said Japan holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Bangladesh.

Rahman also said Japan and Bangladesh had cultivated long-standing friendly relations and expressed his commitment to working together with Prime Minister Takaichi to take bilateral relations to new heights.

The two leaders concurred on upgrading the concept of the “Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B)” into a new strategic cooperation initiative, “BIG-B for Shared Prosperity”, based on four pillars: (1) strengthening connectivity; (2) preparedness for natural disasters and geopolitical risks; (3) public-private partnerships for the co-creation of economic growth opportunities and rule-making; and (4) cooperation for peace and stability.

They also agreed to work together to make the Bay of Bengal region, with Bangladesh as its hub, a “region of shared prosperity”.

Prime Minister Takaichi said upcoming private investment by Japanese businesses in Bangladesh was projected to reach one trillion yen over the next five years, with an estimated 200,000 jobs to be created. She also expressed her intention to send a business mission to Bangladesh in the near future.

In response, Tarique Rahman said he welcomed and highly valued investment from Japanese businesses.

The two leaders agreed that their governments would work to ensure the early entry into force of the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and promote cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, agricultural, forestry and fishery products, the environment and climate change, as well as aviation.

Prime Minister Takaichi expressed her expectation that Prime Minister Rahman would provide leadership in creating an environment conducive to Japanese business activities and promoting public-private cooperation.

Prime Minister Rahman responded that the Government of Bangladesh would also work towards this goal in a transparent manner.

Regarding security, Prime Minister Takaichi announced that Japan had decided to provide a patrol vessel to enhance Bangladesh’s maritime security capabilities under Security-Contributing ODA.

The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continuing security and defence cooperation and working together to maintain peace and security in the region.

Prime Minister Rahman expressed his deep gratitude for the cooperation extended by the Government and people of Japan to Bangladesh to date and stated his intention to work towards “shared prosperity” for the two countries.

Reflecting on the cooperation between the two countries, which has expanded across a wide range of fields, including security, the economy and people-to-people exchanges, he expressed his intention to continue strengthening cooperation with Japan in various areas.