Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh : Email Bulletin Archive

Japan-Bangladesh E-Bulletin (14th issue / December 5th, 2004)
- Making a Bridge between Japan and Banglades- ====================================================================================================

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[1] Message from Ambassador Horiguchi
"Sri Lanka and Bangladesh"

During the Eid holidays, I visited Sri Lanka.

What struck me most in my trip was the fabled history of the Sinhalese dynasty, which was established by a prince from Bengal in 5th century B.C., and continued to exist until 1815, when the British destroyed it, although it had to transfer the capital several times because of the invasions of Tamils from India crossing Palk Strait.

I wondered if it was true, but when I asked some Sri Lankans in Dhaka, all of them told me that they believed the story.

The first thing I found was that there are very few people in Sri Lanka. The population of Sri Lanka is 20 million, of which one million resides in Colombo, and its domain is one third of Bangladesh.

The second thing was that there were no rickshaws. Cars and buses were less than the population ratio.

The third was that extremely poor people could hardly be seen. People belonging even to the poor class seemed to be literate. I got the impression that their faces were calm.

And the forth was that trash on the streets was hardly visible. When I visited not only the capital Colombo, but also rural areas, I found that people made it a point to clean their houses and the surrounding areas. I was impressed to see that there were many shops selling brooms.

However, I was told that the city of Colombo became clean only several years ago. If so, the policies or campaigns that made the city clean could be very useful for JICA experts who are making the master plan for the waste management in Dhaka. Thus, I asked the Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka to look into those policies and campaigns, and send the outcome to Dhaka.

Sri Lanka also has plentiful tourist attractions, such as splendid Buddhist structures and sculptures, which the Sinhalese dynasty left behind when they moved the capital, and natural beauty of huge rocks and the seashore. With abundance of natural resources, it is said that there is every jewel except for diamond. So, Sri Lanka has some big advantages that Bangladesh does not have.

On the other hand, Bangladesh has diligent and enterprising people, entrepreneurial and internationally-minded businessmen, local elite with high proficiency in English, and artists with excellent color sense and innovation.

Bangladesh also does not have any separatist groups fighting to claim independence for racial reasons such as the Tamil Tigers. It is a great advantage for Bangladesh.

If Bangladesh improves its governance, irons out the disputes and rivalries between political parties, puts resources into education, and concentrates their efforts on economic development, then it can overcome LDC status and become another economic tiger in a short time.

One of the common difficulties of both countries is the relations with India. In Bangladesh, International River Linkage Project is one of the biggest problems. In Sri Lanka, it is also worried that India tries to carry on the plan of construction of a 30 kilo-meter waterway at shallows in Palk Strait without any consultation with Sri Lanka.

It is pointed out that if this deep waterway was constructed, the tide of Bay of Bengal would be changed, the ecology of the sea would also be changed, many fishermen would lose their jobs, and 85 islands on Palk Strait would submerge under water. A common problem is how to make a great power, India, respect the interests of smaller neighbors. I wish a good solution to this problem would be found in the near future.

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

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[3] Recent Events on Japan-Bangladesh Relations

* The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (Dec.5, Dhaka)

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test 2004 was held on December 5, at Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka.

109 Bangladeshi people took the test from Level 2 to 4.

The next test will be held on the first Sunday of December, 2005.

For more details, please contact JUAAB office or Education Advisor, Cultural Section, Embassy of Japan.

(JUAAB office)
TEL: 8661900
(Education Advisor, Cultural Section, Embassy of Japan)
TEL: 8810087 (ext. 154)

* Seminar on the JICA/AAN Arsenic Project (Nov. 28, Dhaka)

Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Cooperatives, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Asia Arsenic Network (AAN) organized the inaugural session of the final seminar on the JICA/AAN Project titled "Integrated Approach for Mitigation of Arsenic Contamination of Drinking Water in Bangladesh" on November 28, 2004, at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.

Ambassador Horiguchi addressed the seminar as Special Guest. For
details, please visit following website at
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/embassy/speeches/43sph_jica_aan281104.html

* Consultation Meeting between JBCCI and Embassy of Japan (Nov. 25, Dhaka)

The Embassy of Japan and Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI) held a consultation meeting on November 25 at the Embassy of Japan.

About 35 attendants talked on improvement of business environment, practical use of Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA), and so forth.

(JBCCI Website)
http://www.jetro.go.jp/bangladesh/eng/jbcci/index.html

* Japanese Traditional Drum Concert (Nov. 23-27, Dhaka)

The Embassy of Japan and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy jointly organized a drum concert by 'Haguruma' or a tooth-head wheel, a group of Japanese drummers on November 23, 2004 at Osmani Memorial Hall.

About seven hundred people enjoyed the Japanese traditional drum concert and admired Haguruma's performance.

For more details, please read a press report.
http://www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2004/12/01/event.htm

* Japan-World Bank Joint Seminar (Nov. 22, Dhaka & Tokyo)

Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Japan's International Cooperation, Japan-World Bank Joint Seminar "Towards a More Prosperous Bangladesh - Next Steps for Development Partners" was held on November 22, 2004, at World Bank Dhaka Office and World Bank Tokyo Development Learning Center connected via video conferencing system.

In this seminar, Japanese and Bangladeshi development experts talked about the roles of Japan and World Bank in the development of Bangladesh.

Speakers from Bangladesh include Mr. Anthony Richard Howe Bottrill (Lead Economist, Poverty Reduction
and Economic Management, World Bank Dhaka Office), Mr. Zakir Ahmed Khan (Secretary, Finance Division, Ministry of Finance in Bangladesh), and Mr. Fazle Hasan Abed (Founder and Chairperson, BRAC).

Ambassador Horiguchi also made a presentation at the seminar.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/embassy/speeches/42sph_jp_wb_sem221104.html
The Ambassador's speech is also posted on the bottom of this e-bulletin.

For more information, please visit the following website.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/jp/bdmodel/041122jwbseminaren.html

* Dr. Hussain received an Order from Japan (Nov. 9, Tokyo)

Dr. AKM Moazzem Hussain received "The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays" from the Government of Japan on November 9, 2004, in Tokyo.

The Government of Japan has conferred this award on Dr. Moazzem Hussain in recognition of his great contribution to promoting friendly relations between Japan and Bangladesh.

The Press release will be posted on the following website.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/news/pr/index.html

Please also refer to the JBCCI Member Report below.

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[5] JBCCI Member Report
"On the Occasion of my Receipt of ' The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays'"
Dr. AKM Moazzem Hussain
Advisor, Bangladesh AOTS Alumni Society

During the last 43 years, i.e. 10 years of student life in Japan followed by 33 years of working life, I always tried in my humble way to foster a stronger bondage between my countries, i.e. Bangladesh and Japan, in all possible areas of cooperation, and very frankly speaking, it is AOTS which provided me with the best platform for that
purpose.

As the President of ABK/AOTS Alumni Association, and later on, as the Representative of AOTS Dhaka Office for long 16 years, all of my activities were automatically focussed towards the good causes of
Bangladesh and Japan.

Therefore, most of my achievements for creating a stronger bondage between Bangladesh and Japan were possible through the platform of AOTS for which I am deeply grateful. No doubt the other platforms like Bangladesh-Japan Society, Japanese Universities Alumni Association in Bangladesh (JUAAB), JETRO Dhaka Office and Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI) also provided me with very significant
roles to play.

In recognition of my humble contributions towards the good causes of Bangladesh and Japan, the Government of Japan has honoured me with an award called "The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays" or Kyokujitsu Sokosho in Japanese. The award ceremony was held on 9th November at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in Tokyo and this was followed by an audience of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan at the Imperial Palace.

This award was, of course, possible due to the strong recommendation of H.E. Mr. Matsushiro Horiguchi, the Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh. Therefore, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to His Excellency as well as the Government of Japan.

However, I believe that this great honour is not for me alone; it is for all the people who always inspired me and acted as my driving force; it is for all the organizations which supported me and gave me the scope to work; it is for all my friends who are present here today; and finally it is for my country Bangladesh.

As I mentioned earlier, AOTS is a name which cannot be separated from my life. I came in touch with AOTS more than 40 years ago and I must mention the name of two great personalities of AOTS who can be called my God Fathers or Path Finders in my life. One is the Founder of AOTS, Late Hozumi Sensei and the other is hissuccessor, Mr. Nagaaki Yamamoto.

My professors at the University of Tokyo taught me Shipbuilding Technology and Fracture Mechanics of Welded Structures which were essential for me to earn my bread as a University Professor at home and abroad. But the two AOTS God Fathers taught me a lot of other precious things like humanity, mutual cooperation for peaceful co existence, the concept of equal partnership in giving or receiving any cooperation, etc. which have become essential elements In my life to carry out my obligations as a citizen of this world. Therefore, apart from my University Professors, I shall never forget the enormous contribution of these two great personalities of AOTS in my life.

Of course, I must not forget to mention about another great contribution of AOTS in my life. Can you guess what that is? AOTS gave me a wonderful better half, Eiko, with whom I already spent 36 years of peaceful conjugal life. Not only that she has been my source of inspiration at all times, she has also given me two sons, Robin and
Jiro who have made me a proud father today.

Eiko and I must also acknowledge the great contribution of two more persons, Mr. Ogawa of 3A Corporation and Prof. Kubota, a former journalist of Asahi Shimbun. They have widely introduced us not only in Japan but also overseas through their books, "Asian Partners" and "Tanomoshii Asia no Yujintachi" respectively.

At last, but not the least, I must acknowledge the great contribution of my classmates and seniors at the University of Tokyo, my colleagues and seniors at AOTS Family, my friends of ABK Dosokai, AITS Dosokai, JUAAB, JBCCI, JETRO and the officers of the Embassy of Japan in Dhaka in addition to H.E. the Ambassador himself, who gave me the total support in my activities at different stages of my life.

After getting the award, I am now morally committed to go ahead further with a lot of unfinished as well as new tasks and I do hope that I shall get the continuous support and cooperation from all of yourselves during the days to come.

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

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[6] Ambassador's Speech at the Japan-World Bank Joint Seminar (Nov. 22, Dhaka & Tokyo) "Next Steps for Japan's Development Cooperation in Bangladesh"

Distinguished panelists, ladies and gentlemen in Tokyo and here in Dhaka,
It is a great pleasure for me to be here today as one of the panelists of this seminar and discuss the opportunities and challenges for the development of Bangladesh. As the top bilateral donor, Japan has been supporting this country's development efforts for many years. Tapping on this experience, I would like to explain how Japan perceives the challenges for this country's development and what kind of distinct contributions Japan can make in cooperation with Bangladesh and other development partners.

I will first briefly explain why Japan supports Bangladesh in its development efforts and how Japan's assistance contributed to this country. Based on these, I will present my understanding of the challenges Bangladesh faces at the moment and in what areas Japan will respond to these challenges in what ways. I would then like to consider the roles Japan will play in the overall spectrum of development partnership. Lastly, I will touch upon Japan's new Country Assistance Plan for Bangladesh currently under review.

1. Bangladesh and Japan

Bangladesh, since its independence, has maintained very friendly relationship with Japan. Japan was one of the first countries to recognize Bangladesh, and Japan supported the Bangladeshi people during their most difficult times. Since Bangladesh is one of the Least Developed Countries in Asia and is endeavoring hard for development, Japan, as a country in the same region, feels a great sympathy and is willing to support its efforts. Advancing the cause of development in Bangladesh will also contribute to achieving the global targets of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Bangladesh is important for Japan, since it plays key roles in South Asia, the Islamic world and multilateral fora. It is also a good trade and investment partner of Japan for the future.

2. Looking Back on Japan's Contribution

Against such backgrounds, Japan has long supported the development of Bangladesh and has produced a number of tangible outcomes.

The most visible support is in the area of large-scale infrastructure. Japan has supported the construction of transportation network, including the Meghna and Meghna-Gumuti Bridges, the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge, the Lalon Shah Bridge opened this year, and the Rupsa Bridge due to be commissioned next year. Such network has
greatly enhanced economic activities and improved people's lives. Fertilizer factories financed by Japan's ODA produce 60% of total fertilizer production, contributing to this country's food self-sufficiency.

Japan's aid has also made an impact on daily lives of the grassroots people. It has played a prominent role in supporting polio eradication and improving reproductive health. To prepare for disasters, Japan has worked to provide more than 80 cyclone shelters in this country. Japan's support for participatory approach in rural development and arsenic mitigation has triggered significant progress in this largely rural-based country.

Japan has always laid its emphasis on human resource development. Every year, more than 400 Bangladeshis go to Japan for education and training under various Japanese Government programs. More than 4000 JICA alumni, 1000 AOTS alumni and 2000 Mombu-Kagakusho Scholarship alumni are now playing important roles in various fields all over the country.

3. New Challenges and Priorities

As such, Bangladesh has made a number of achievements till date. Nevertheless, Japan perceives much room for further development in this country. We strongly feel the existence of such a potential, since we supported even faster development of other neighboring countries in East Asia and elsewhere as well. What, then, are the most
pressing challenges in Bangladesh?

First is pro-poor growth. In the age of global competition, foreign direct investment (FDI) is the most effective means of growth by creating production capacity and job opportunities as well as expanding exports. I am deeply concerned that Bangladesh may be complacent with the present level of FDI which is far below its potential. In order to attract more FDI, concrete and immediate actions are needed to improve the country's existing regulatory
framework as well as physical infrastructure.

Second is human security. Various social services, including health and education, can be better delivered in rural communities. In an environment of relatively weak government machineries, human security approach of protecting and empowering people through strengthening the community would be most needed. We are hopeful that the government and NGOs will collaborate even more at the community level.

Last but the most fundamental is governance. We believe that strong political leadership backed up by good management skill would greatly improve the development impact of this country. In our view, it is vital for Bangladesh to share the sense of urgency, iron out minor differences among the political parties, and strive hard for the economic and social development of this nation state. With such strong will, better management would resolve the pressing issues like corruption and law and order.

To respond to these challenges, priority sectors need to be identified. Japan has traditionally supported a wide range of sectors. However, in order to attain more visible results, Japan may have to focus on sectors or sub-sectors where Japan's strength is most effectively utilized. Twelve sectors contributing to the three goals of pro-poor growth, human security and governance have tentatively been selected, but they are still under consideration.

4. Japan in Development Partnership

There is a growing consensus among development partners that development can be achieved through strong ownership and effective partnership. Japan is taking the lead in some areas but cannot stand alone in supporting Bangladesh. We need to transform ourselves further so that we can better collaborate with other development partners.

Japan is taking steps to institutionalize the joint work of the Embassy of Japan, JICA, JBIC, and JETRO offices (4Js) by forming a Country ODA Taskforce. It has become a common platform and interface for communication with the government, donors, and Japan's development community. This way, Japan can make most of its knowledge stored in various organizations and can utilize its limited available ODA resources as effectively as possible.

In a nutshell, Japan's assistance aims to strengthen government ownership. More specifically, Japan makes capacity development to strengthen the government institutions as an integral component in Japan's development projects in many cases. Listening to government's voices in biannual meetings and through various studies is another example. Japan will fully support the government's Poverty Reduction Strategy now under preparation and will take the lead in facilitating alignment with the government policy and systems toward the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Paris in March next year and beyond.

In development partnership, Japan aims to provide distinct value additions. In the primary education sector program (PEDP-II), we are now working on improving the quality of education in science and mathematics. In the private sector development program under preparation (RISE), we will try to invest in infrastructure and have the investors' voices reflected in the regulatory framework, drawing from the experiences in East Asian countries. As such, we try to leverage our strength through partnership and work with other donors having expertise and resources to achieve maximum synergy and complementarity.

5. Japan's Country Assistance Plan

Let me conclude my presentation by announcing that the process of revising Japan's Country Assistance Plan for Bangladesh is now underway. The current plan was made nearly five years ago, and the draft outline of the new plan was discussed at the ODA Strategy Council in Tokyo earlier this month. My presentation reflects a part of this outline. After a series of consultations with various stakeholders, the new plan will be finalized in mid-2005.

I would very much like to hear your views on the next steps for Japan's development cooperation so that those could be reflected in the new plan.

Thank you very much for your attention.

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