Economic Wing

The Economic Wing at the Embassy of Bangladesh in Japan is headed by an officer who holds the diplomatic rank of a Minister. As a functional unit of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), the Economic Wing is charged with the responsibilities to strengthen and enhance the existing bilateral economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Japan, mainly in the form of official development assistance (ODA). The Economic Wing is facilitating mobilization of resources and financial aid in terms of loan, grant and technical cooperation from Japan to Bangladesh. In addition, this wing is helping to develop/improve capacity of human resources and transfer of technology through facilitating higher education and training for Bangladeshis in Japanese universities and institutions. This wing also helps to promote investment by Japanese companies/entrepreneurs in Bangladesh.

Major Functions of Economic Wing:

• Mobilize bilateral aid in the form of loans, grants, and technical assistance for Bangladesh; since independence, Japan has committed to provide support of more than US$27.432 billion as project aid, food aid and commodity aid to Bangladesh in the form of grants, loans and technical assistance. Disbursement up to February, 2022 has been US$17.459 billion.
• Monitor macro-economic indicators of the Japanese economy and report on the implications of the movements of those indicators upon the potential ODA flows of Japan.
• Facilitate and arrange signing of ODA loan/grant agreements between the Governments of Bangladesh and Japan.
• Maintain liaison and coordination with key institutions, bureaus, agencies and relevant ministries such as Finance, Foreign Affairs, METI, JICA, JBIC and other key ministries/institutions of the Japanese Government in order to facilitate and enhance Japanese ODA mobilization to Bangladesh.
• Promote Japanese investment in Bangladesh through maintaining regular contacts with different Chambers of Commerce and Industries, and brief them about investment opportunities in Bangladesh.
• Maintain liaison with different ministries of the Government of Bangladesh regarding issues relating to Japanese ODA, investment, business, etc.
• Assist strengthening human resource development of Bangladesh through facilitation of Japanese scholarships such as, Japanese grant aid for human resource development scholarship (JDS), Youth development program, Monbukagakusho scholarship, etc.

Japanese ODA loan support as a result of ‘Comprehensive Partnership’ (since 2014)

During the official visit of Japan by Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh H.E. Sheikh Hasina in 2014, a summit meeting was held with Japanese Prime Minster H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe. They took the bilateral relationship to new level by upgrading it to ‘Comprehensive Partnership’. Since then, the economic cooperation between the two countries has been reaching new heights. Year wise Japanese ODA loan support for various projects in Bangladesh since 2014 are as follows:

Syed Nasir Ershad
Economic Minister
Embassy of Bangladesh, Tokyo, Japan
Phone: 03-3234-5801 (Ext-200)
Email: economin.tokyo@mofa.gov.bd