Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Tokyo

Japan-Bangladesh bilateral relations emanate from the unwavering Japanese support for the cause of an independent Bangladesh. Japan recognized independent Bangladesh on 10 February 1972 and established diplomatic relations. Following that both the countries established their respective Embassies in 1972. Bangladesh nurture enduring gratitude for all Japanese who stood by in its trying hours. A bond of mutual goodwill and respect has since developed between the two peoples. The then Prime Minister of Bangladesh visited Japan from 18-24 October 1973 at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka. The visit laid down the political foundation for advancing the bilateral relations between the two countries. Since then, the bilateral relations between the two countries have developed steadily by the sustained efforts of the successive governments in both the countries.

Japan has been instrumental in building the country’s infrastructure including roads and bridges, power plants, water and sanitation facilities, as well as poverty alleviation and human resources development efforts which contributed to the attainment of overall socio-economic development goals of Bangladesh. Japan played great role in supporting Bangladesh at the time of natural disasters. Japan has always assisted Bangladesh in recovering from natural calamities like cyclone, floods, etc. Since the beginning of the Rohingya crisis in August 2017, Japan has been a steadfast supporter of the refugee response in Bangladesh, contributing over USD $250 million in humanitarian assistance through UN and NGOs for both the forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar and host community. Japan supported Bangladesh in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by providing budget support loans and 4.5 million doses of vaccines (2021). Thus, over the years, Japan has become a true and time-tested friend of Bangladesh.

The bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Japan developed strong momentum and grew from strength to strength in recent years. The official visit of the former Prime Minister to Japan on 29 November-2 December 2010 resulted in the signing of the Joint Statement between the two countries stipulated fundamental basis for the future bilateral engagements, including fresh political commitments from the Government of Japan to undertake major development projects in Bangladesh and to expand bilateral trade and investment. The Government of Japan has continued its support in wider range of fields from social development to energy, power generation, communication infrastructure, investment, trade, textile, garments, and IT projects.

One reality is Japan’s transformed interest in South Asia. Being a US ally, when the USA developed interest in the Indo-Pacific, there was a renewed thinking in Japan’s own foreign policy pursuit. Under the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” pioneered by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014, Japan re-enforced her engagement with countries in South Asia (in their Foreign Policy termed as Southwest Asia), including Bangladesh. In September 2014, Prime Minister Abe visited Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Under the “Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth-Belt (Big-B) initiative” Japan came forward with big investment proposal to Bangladesh and through the back-to-back visits of former Prime Minister to Japan and late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Bangladesh the two countries entered into a “Comprehensive Partnership” in 2014.

As Bangladesh positions itself as a strategic geo-politically important country, Japan continued to show its interest in Bangladesh as an important partner within its Indo-Pacific strategy. However, there is a need to keep in focus the new realities and set a new direction for Bangladesh’s bilateral relations with Japan for mutual benefits.

The year, 2022, was a remarkable landmark as Bangladesh and Japan celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of Bangladesh-Japan diplomatic relations. The former Prime Minister visited Japan on 25-28 April 2023 at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. During the visit, Bangladesh and Japan signed a Joint Statement on “Strategic Partnership”. Nine instruments were signed between the two countries to institutionalize cooperation in the areas of Customs, ICT and Cybersecurity, Defense, Industrial upgradation, Agriculture, Metro Rail, Ship Recycling, Intellectual property and Children’s Library setup.

Japan welcomed the formation of the Interim Government of Bangladesh in August 2024 led by the Hon’ble Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, a well-known Economist and Nobel Laureate for peace in Japan. Bangladesh has assured Japan that all the ongoing foreign funded projects will continue towards expected implementation.

There have been regular visits by the Ministers, Secretaries and high-level officials of the Government of Bangladesh to Japan (a list of important visits in 2022-2025 is listed below). As many as 7 (seven) Ministerial-level visits took place from Bangladesh to Japan in the recent days. Then Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament visited Japan at the invitation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and former Foreign Minister visited Japan in April 2022 for bilateral meeting with then Foreign Minister of Japan and in September 2022 for attending former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s State Funeral. There is regular exchange of defense and security visits.

The Embassy continued to liaise with different ministries and agencies in Japan in promoting economic, trade and investment and human resource relations with Japan, and also arranged meetings, seminars, and public diplomacy initiatives in relevant areas. Due to the effort of the Embassy, the flow of technical intern and specified skilled workers have started to increase steadily in recent years. The Bangladesh expatriates living in Japan is approximately more than 40,000.

At present, with a view to widening economic partnership further between the two countries, the Bangladesh–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is under negotiation. The 7^th round of the negotiation took place in Tokyo from 3-12 September 2025. It is expected that the EPA will be concluded by the end of 2025 and through this, our bilateral relations will see the initiation of a new era of collaboration.

Important visits (2022-2024):

Incoming Visits from Bangladesh to Japan

2025

• Visit of Hon’ble Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus to Japan, 28-31 May 2025
• Hon’ble Commerce Adviser, Mr. Sk. Bashir Uddin visited Japan in February and May 2025 respectively
• Visit of the Hon’ble Finance Adviser, Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed to Japan in August 2025
• Hon’ble Foreign Adviser, Mr. Md. Touhid Hossain visited Japan in May 2025
• Visit of the Hon’ble Special Envoy to the Chief Adviser on International Affairs, Mr. Lutfey Siddiqi in May 2025
• Governor of Bangladesh Bank, Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur visited Japan in February 2025
• Executive Chairman of BIDA, Mr. Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun visited Japan in February 2025

2024

• Visit of former Minister for Housing and Public Works in connection with donation of peace monument to Nagasaki Peace Part, Nagasaki, 28-30 May 2024
• Visit of Mr. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary of ERD, June 3-7, 2024
• Visit of former Minister of Railways, 17-18 July 2024

2023

• Visit of the former Minister, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives 11-12 January 2023 and 01-06 October 2022
• Visit of the former Minister for Food 05-09 February 2023
• Former Foreign Secretary led the Bangladesh delegation to the 4^th Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and Japan in Tokyo, 28 February 2023
• Visit of the former Mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation, 27 March to 02 April 2023
• Visit of the then Prime Minister to Japan, 24-28 April 2023
• Visit of the former Minister, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to Nagasaki to attend ‘Japan Health Systems Flagship Course’ program, 14-18 May 2023
• Visit of the former Speaker of Bangladesh to Japan, 24-29 May 2023
• Visit of the former State Minister, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, 26 May-01 June 2023
• Visit of the former State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism who led a high-level delegation with the inaugural flight of Bangladesh Biman on Dhaka-Narita sector, 01-02 September 2023
• Visit of the former Minister, Ministry for Railways, Bangladesh for an inspection under the project "Jamuna Railway Bridge Construction Project", 27 September to 03 October 2023

2022

• Visit of the former Foreign Minister on 26-27 September 2022 to attend the State Funeral of former Prime Minister of Japan, Late Mr. Shinzo Abe. He earlier undertook a bilateral visit to Japan in April 2022
• Visit of the former State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources to Japan on 28 July 2022

From Armed Forces:

2025

• Visit of a 26-member delegation from the National Defence College (NDC) of Bangladesh to Japan from 23-26 August 2025 as part of their overseas study tour

2024

• Visit of a delegation of the 23rd Armed Forces War Course (AFWC) of the National Defence College of Bangladesh visited Japan from 08-12 September 2024 as part of their overseas study tour
• Visit of Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan to Japan to attend the Air Force Forum in Japan (AFFJ) being held on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Air Self-Defence Force, 14-18 October 2024

2023

• Rear Admiral Ashraful Hoq Chowdhury, Director General Bangladesh Coast Guard visited Japan to attend the 3rd Coast Guard Global Summit arranged by Japan Coast Guard in Tokyo, 30 October-03 November 2023
• Visit of a 27- member delegation from the National Defence College (NDC) of Bangladesh visited Japan from 24-30 September 2023 as part of their overseas study tour
• Visit of the former Security Adviser to the Prime Minister to attend the Munich Leaders Meeting, 14 -16 May 2023
• Visit of the Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan BBP, BUP, nswc, fawc, psc, Chief of Air Staff, Bangladesh Air Force, 17-23 February 2023

2022

• Visit of Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal, NBP, NUP, ndc, afwc, psc, Chief of Naval Staff of Bangladesh Navy to attend the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2022-Japan and 18^th Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS), 04-10 November 2022

Outgoing visit from Japan to Bangladesh

2025

• Visit of the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Ikuina Akiko to Bangladesh on 2-3 February 2025
• Visit of a parliamentary delegation led by Mr. Michihiro Ishibashi, Member of the House of Councillors, under the Japanese Parliamentarians’ League on the International Labour Organization (ILO) to Bangladesh, 3-5 September 2025

2024

• Visit of Mr. ONO Keiichi, Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs in connection with the 5^th Regular Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) held in Dhaka, 25-26 June 2024
• Visit of the former Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. HOSAKA Yasushi to Dhaka to attend the 30^th Anniversary Global Dialogue of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), 15 May 2024

2023

• Visit of Mr. NAKATANI Gen, former Special Advisor to Prime Minister of Japan on International Human Rights, 19- 21 February 2023 [Current Defense Minister]
• Visit of Mr. TAKAGI Kei, former Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, 12-13 May 2023
• Visit of Mr. NISHIMURA Yasutoshi, former Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), 23-25 May 2023
• Visit of Mr. KOMURA Masahiro, former Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, 6-9 October 2023

2022

• Visit of Mr. HONDA Taro, former Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, 25-27 July 2022
• Visit of Mr. TAKEI Shunsuke, former State Minister for Foreign Affairs, 23- 24 November 2022

Political Consultations

During the Prime Minister’s visit to Japan in May 2014, a decision was taken to hold regular Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and Japan. After that both sides re-committed themselves to hold regular Foreign Office Consultations between two Governments when Japanese Prime Minister visited Bangladesh in September 2014. Following the decision, the first ever FOC took place in Dhaka in February 2015. There have been six rounds of consultations since then in 2015, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024, and May 2025.

The 6th round of the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) was held on Thursday, 15 May 2025 in Tokyo. The meeting discussed political, economic and sectoral cooperation issues along with trade and investment, people-to-people connectivity and cultural exchanges, Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (Rohingyas), security cooperation, and regional and global issues. Both sides agreed to deepen political trust, prioritize development strategies, and fully realize ‘Strategic Partnership’.

Bilateral Agreements/MoUs:

Over the years, Bangladesh and Japan have signed a number of Agreements/MoUs/MoCs to strengthen and institutionalize cooperation between them. The list of the Agreements/MoUs/MoCs signed between the two countries are mentioned below: