[1] Message from Ambassador Horiguchi
"Listening to the voices of the flood-affected people"

A few weeks ago, I joined a helicopter tour organized by the UNDP to see the plight of the flood-affected people in Jamalganj in Sylhet, a sandbank in Jamuna River near Tangail, and Sirajganj across the Jamuna.

We saw clusters of houses surrounded by water soon after taking off from the Zia International Airport. Then, as we got close to Sylhet, the land disappeared, and all we could see was water. There were tilted telegraph poles and just rows of treetops. Although there was nothing but water when we saw it from far away, there were roads and paths between the rice fields in the water. We realized that people lived there before the floods.

Soon afterwards, we saw a cluster of houses comprising five or six abodes, and we landed at the garden of a building in the water that was apparently a village office. Coming by boats, hundreds of people waited for us there.

Officials of the district and NGO members told us that things most in need were shelter and drinking water, but since the flood might continue till December, they wanted seeds and fertilizer so that they could start farm-work as soon as the water recedes. They also told us
that they needed access to institutional credit for these.

In the long term, since the water like the sea cannot be controlled, the problem is to reduce the extent of damages. If the land had been inundated 15 or 20 days later, people could have finished harvesting. Therefore, they needed a high enough bank to do so. They wanted to
change 160 elementary schools in five unions into two-storied flood shelters. They also wanted shelters for livestock.

Then, we went to an island named Sthal in Jamuna River. Hundreds of people also waited for us here. People told us that they lost not only houses but cropping fields because of the flood this year.

Normally, the flood water carried a lot of soils from the riverside. However, this year's flooding was so fast that it carried earth and sand instead of fertile silt, which floods usually carry. Earth and sand were piled up to fifty centimetres.

Some houses remained half-buried under the earth and sand. Most necessary things during this time were food and water, then came the need for employment opportunities.

We went to Sirajganj at last. It was a relatively prosperous area. Some people who lost their houses lived in shacks made of galvanized iron on flood protection banks left with no space. We found new usage of riverbanks.

People told us that the most necessary thing was the restoration of road and communication network. Their employment opportunities for the time being were fisheries and growing vegetables. Some of them went to cities like Bogra for daily employment or begging. Seventy or eighty percent of the people who went to cities had not returned.

The Government of Japan extended relief assistance amounting to US$ 6.8 million during this flood. In deciding the assistance, Japan made utmost effort to listen to the voices of the flood-affected people. I hope they would come back to their normal lives as soon as possible.

(Ambassador's past messages are on the following website.)
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/eBulletin/index.html

[2] Upcoming Events on Japan-Bangladesh Relations

* Bangladesh Apparel Fair (Oct. 25-27, Tokyo)

The Bangladesh Apparel Fair will be held from October 25 to 27 at JETRO Invest Japan Business Support Center (IBSC) in Tokyo. This event is aimed at creating business opportunities in the apparel industries between Bangladesh and Japan through meeting potential suppliers and buyers. There will be a seminar and a fashion show on October 25 at 3:30 am. Individual company booths will be arranged from October 26 to 27 for business negotiations.

[3] Recent Events on Japan-Bangladesh Relations

* Annual Meeting of JICA Alumni Association (Oct. 8, Dhaka)

Annual Meeting, Installation Ceremony, Cultural Function, and Annual Dinner of JICA Alumni Association, Bangladesh, was held on October 8, 2004, at Bangladesh Institute of Administration and Management (BIAM) Auditorium. Several singers and groups of dancers performed during one-hour Cultural Function.

Ambassador Horiguchi underlined the importance of this association in his speech.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/embassy/speeches/38sphjica081004.html


* Clean Mirpur with JICA Project (Oct. 6, Dhaka)

Declaration Ceremony for Clean Mirpur of Ward 6 for JICA Pilot Project for Ward Solid Waste Management was held on October 7, 2004, at Indoor Stadium in Mirpur.

Ambassador Horiguchi's speech at the ceremony will be posted on the website soon.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/../embassy/speeches/sphmhoriguchi.html

For more details, please access the following website.
http://www.cleandhaka.com


* Handing-over Ceremony of DU-JICF Scholarship (October 4, Dhaka)

The first handing-over ceremony of DU-JICF (Dhaka University and Japan international Cooperation Foundation) Scholarship was held on October 4, 2004, at Dhaka University.

This scholarship was given to the top 20 students on the entering examination of Dhaka University. Each scholarship student will get Tk. 36,000 every year till graduation.

Ambassador Horiguchi made the following speech at the ceremony.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/embassy/speeches/37sphdujicf041004.html


* JUAAB Participates in Reunion (Oct. 3-9, Dhaka)

Four members of the Japanese Universities Alumni Association in Bangladesh (JUAAB) were invited to Japan to attend the reunion of former students from October 3 to 9, 2004.

A total of 38 former students representing 12 countries of Middle East and Southwest Asia (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, Oman, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt) attended the reunion. This was the fourth reunion for Southwest Asia and the first for the Middle Eastern countries.

For more information, please see the following website.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/news/pr/33pressjuaab031004.html


* Police Training in Japan (Oct. 2-14, Dhaka)

Five Bangladesh police officials were invited to Japan for a two-week police-training program from October 2 to 14 for the improvement of the law and order situation in this country.

For more information, please see the following press release.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/news/pr/32presspolice021004.html


* BAAS Quality and Productivity Seminar (Oct. 2-3, Dhaka)

The seminar on "Motivation for improvement of Quality & Productivity" was held from October 2 to 3, 2004, at BIAM (Bangladesh Institute of Administration and Management), organized by Bangladesh AOTS (Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship) Alumni Society (BAAS) in cooperation with the World Network of Friendship (WNF) Fund of AOTS.

Ambassador Horiguchi made the following speech at the opening ceremony.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/embassy/speeches/36sphbaas021004.html


* Workshop on Padma Bridge (Sep. 29, Dhaka)

The Workshop on Interim Report of the Feasibility Study of the Padma Bridge was held on September 29 at Hotel Sonargaon.

Ambassador Horiguchi made the following speech at the opening ceremony.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/embassy/speeches/35sphpadma290904.html


* SHOO-KOO-KAI donates Tk 2 Lakh for Flood Victims (Sep. 15, Dhaka)

SHOO-KOO-KAI (Japanese Commerce & Industry Association in Dhaka) donated Tk. 200,000 at the end of September 2004 to Shapla Neer, a Japanese NGO operating in Bangladesh, as one of its philanthropic activities to contribute to the surrounding society. Using this fund, Shapla Neer provided medical services through its traveling clinic to 121,000 flood affected people of Mymensingh, Norsingdi, and Manikgonj areas.

For more information, please visit the following website.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/news/pr/skkflood150904.html

[4] Information

* Koizumi Cabinet Reshuffle (Sep. 27, Tokyo)

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reshuffled the Cabinet for his second administration on September 27, 2004.

For more information, including the list of new Cabinet Ministers, please visit the following website.
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/koizumiphoto/2004/09/27kaizou_e.html

[5] JBCCI Member Report
"Experience of Doing Business with Japan"
Mr. AKM Ahmedul Islam
(COO, BJIT (Bangladesh Japan Information Technology) Limited)

Japan is one of the top seven industrially developed countries in the world. Technologically, Japan is very advanced compared to other nations where a lot of opportunities in the field of ICT await for developing nations like Bangladesh.

To make realize the potential, some non-resident Bangladeshis based in Tokyo took some initiatives with a number of renowned ICT personnel in Japan to establish Bangladesh Japan Information Technology (BJIT) Limited in the year 2001.

At the time of establishment BJIT has three major objectives:

(1) IT training school: We wish to produce quality IT manpower conversant about professional environment of Japan and also know the Japanese language and culture.

(2) Software development: From the beginning, our main aim was to produce world-class software product with Bangladeshi computer engineers. BJIT always had a plan to make an offshore development house where different projects from the developed countries will have their software projects to minimize the cost by even 75 percent. As a result, Bangladeshi programmers will get an opportunity to work for the world-renowned companies and also develop their product within small budget.

(3) Human resource: Through this objective, BJIT put more than 10 Bangladeshi engineers in different renowned Japanese ICT companies in Tokyo to display their performances and capabilities. After proving their capabilities, the Japanese companies are giving more and more projects to BJIT.

Initially, BJIT tried to deliver some small projects for their Japanese clients. As a result, it helped to boost up their confidence level. At one stage, BJIT developed three games project for NOKIA N-gage Device, which gave BJIT a historical change in the level of confidence to the other Japanese clients. This project was undertaken for the world-famous Japanese Game Company 'TAITO'.

When we completed this NOKIA project successfully, several companies showed their interest to tie up their existing project with the BJIT. After that BJIT developed games for Motorola, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung mobile set for both Japanese and European markets. Our centers enable us to serve our customers globally right from Bangladesh in an extremely cost-effective manner.

After starting the business with Japan, we have faced a lot of problems in communicating. Now, BJIT has more than four people who know Japanese very well and can even read Japanese Kanji. Almost 40 percent of our employees now understand basic (elementary level) Japanese and can converse in the language. In software development projects, it is essentially required to make smooth communication to run business effectively.

Moreover, participation in different ICT event in Japan is also helping us to get in contact with our Japanese clients. After participating in the Japanese offshore development for IT and Software JOFIS 2003 and 2004, BJIT became well connected in Japan. So, successful market penetration is essential to get the job done for anyone intending to do business in the Japanese market.

Commitment and sincerity are the other prime issues that are highly valued in Japanese culture. There is simply no other alternative or a short-cut way to business success in Japan if one is not highly committed.

Nowadays, BJIT is not only working for the Japanese market, it is also receiving work orders from USA, Hong Kong, Switzerland, France and Finland. So, BJIT is maturing into a global company starting their business from Japan.

(Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI) Website)
http://www.jetro.go.jp/bangladesh/eng/jbcci/index.html

(BJIT's Website)
http://www.bjitbd.com

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Embassy of Japan
Plot No. 5 & 7, Dutabash Road,
Baridhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Phone (880-2)881-0087
FAX (880-2)882-6737
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/

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