[1] Message from Ambassador Horiguchi "On the simultaneous bomb blasts on August 17"

The character of the simultaneous bomb blasts on August 17 is different from those of the past bomb blasts in the sense that it is not aimed at injuring many people but is aimed at sending a certain message. Even though about 450 bombs exploded in 63 districts altogether in about 30-40 minutes, their destructive powers were suppressed. It was reported that the pamphlets of the radical Islamist group banned in February this year named Jamatul Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB) were left on the explosion sites and that the suspects arrested in relation to this event later introduced themselves as members of JMB.

After the event, I have been asking various people about the background. Some of them said that the event was premature and suicidal for JMB because it would be necessary to accumulate more power and to wait for the chance to establish a new nation if the true purpose of JMB was the construction of the nation ruled by Islamic law. Others said that JMB did not have enough power to carry out such a large-scale, accurate operation by itself and assumed that other organizations backed the JMB. I hope that the truth will come out as soon as possible by a thorough investigation and putting the criminals on trial. Only by doing so, similar events can be prevented from recurring.

Criminals involved in a considerable number of explosion cases such as the Ahsanullah assassination, the Kibria assassination, and the Bangladesh Awami League rally bombing in August last year have been arrested, and some of them are being prosecuted. However, people perceive that the effort of the government is not enough. Continued and further efforts by the government is hoped for, including further clarification of the event, the announcement of the interim report on significant cases even if not in their final stages, and the dissemination of information on how the criminals already arrested are being prosecuted.

It should be rightly evaluated that, given various limitations, the Government of Bangladesh has achieved constant results in the field of economic development, social development, and the maintenance of law and order. On the other hand, it seems that this simultaneous bombing demands the government to work harder and more seriously on such issues as the people's dissatisfaction with the grafts and the problems caused by the expansion of the gap between the rich and the poor, and people's uneasiness due to the increase of fundamentalist Islamic activities. Japan would welcome and support the efforts of the Government of Bangladesh in these fields.

(Past messages from Ambassador Horiguchi)
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/eBulletin/index.html
(These messages were compiled in a single booklet.)
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/eBulletin/pdf/makingabridge2.pdf

[2] Upcoming Event on Japan-Bangladesh Relations

* International Conference on Traditional Games (Tokyo, Oct 29-31)
Youth Friendship Association in Japan will organize a three-day conference titled "the Ninth International Conference on Traditional Field Play and Games" from October 29 to 31 at National Olympics Memorial Youth Center. On 30, "the Seventh International Festival on Traditional Field Play and Games" will be held at the Athletic Stadium in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, as a part of the conference. From Bangladesh, Dr. Mahbuba Nasreen, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Dhaka, will participate the conference as a lecturer.

[3] Recent Events on Japan-Bangladesh Relations

* JUAAB Certificate Giving Ceremony of Japanese Language Course & Prize Distribution Ceremony of Essay Competition (Dhaka, Oct 1) Japanese Universities Alumni Association (JUAAB) has Japanese language courses for beginners. On October 1, JUAAB held a certificate giving ceremony for the third batch students of the course at JUAAB office.

Moreover, the prize distribution ceremony of the essay contest was held at the same venue. JUAAB annually organizes an essay contest for higher secondary level students (class XI and XII). This year's theme was "Natural disaster can not be a constraint to development: Japan an Example".

Mr. Yasuharu Shinto, Head of Information and Cultural Division of the Embassy of Japan, attended both ceremony as the Chief Guest.

(JUAAB)
http://www.juaab.org/
* JICA Alumni Association Seminar (Dhaka, Oct 1)

JICA Alumni Association, Bangladesh organized a seminar on "State of the persons with Intellectual Disability in Bangladesh" at LGED Auditorium on October 1.

H.E. Mr. Shajahan Siraj, M.P., Honourable Minister for Textiles and Jute attended as Chief Guest. Mr. Akio Arai, Resident Representative of JICA Bangladesh Office, Mr. M.A. Baten, President of SWID Bangladesh, and Ambassador Horiguchi attended as Special Guests.

At the seminar, Ambassador Horiguchi explained Japan's approach in this field.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/embassy/speeches/sp_jicaaa011005.html

[4] JBCCI Member Report
"A Success Story of RMG Export to Japan (Part II)" Mr. Shahadat Musharraf Khan, Managing Director, Shirt Makers Ltd (Continued from the last issue)

* Improvement of quality
The biggest challenge we had to face is to produce business shirts stamped 'Made in Bangladesh' and inject those into the highly quality-conscious Japanese market for the first time and to get appreciated by the critics of the Japanese apparel guild in comparison to the shirt of Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, China origins who have already made their entries. We must make a positive impression.

To do so, under a trial contract, we went on to buy and adopt the system (Joymont Pitch Control System) offered by Yamaki, in order to increase the working efficiency i.e. higher productivity, lower costs and space and attaining a consistent quality output.

In brief, the Joymont pitch control system is such that where every phase of production is to be performed almost at the same period of time to ensure equal flow of production. It can be compared to a conveyer that doesn't have irregular flow and doesn't stop until any problem occurs or until the machine is switched off.

Machine and material can be arranged quite easily but it is not that easy to make a human resource team that is skilled, hard working and highly committed, which is the ultimate tool to ensure equal production flow. Considering our socio-economic and environmental conditions and the working methods we practiced for other export markets, it has been a difficult phase in adoption of the system the Japanese experts were teaching us, and still teaching us. Perfect manufacturing methods, whether cheap or expensive, were not to be considered. Unit result and total result must be 100% perfect. Customer was to be fully satisfied.

In support of this methodology, we had to arrange an exclusive skill training and quality motivational program for the total team related to the operation. In every step of the operation, like sales and marketing, procurement of material, production and quality control, and commercial activities, we did act as per the requirement of
Japanese market.

As a result, our exports to Japans have been increasing, and in 2004-2005, the amount reached US$ 5.26 million.

* Difficulties to face in Japanese market
Apart from the lifelong odds with respect to nature, politics, and governance, and on the scenario on which we are standing, I feel the most important difficulty to face in penetrating the Japanese market is that the Japanese mainly rely on Japanese people.

1. So, on the sales part, one has to approach Japanese trading co., agent or make a partner. But I feel they need a Japanese smell in the manufacturing system from the sales point of view.

2. On raw material part, one has to use fabrics and other major trimmings which are out of Japanese investments offshore. Since we do not have such investments in Bangladesh, we need to import from countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand where there are huge Japanese investments in textile and related material. By doing so, we loose in lead time compared to those countries and China. So, we are restricted to non-fashionable items, which can have longer lead time i.e. commodity items, which are essential but highly competitive in prices.

3. On the production part, one has to adopt to a Japanese approved system of production, preferably using Japanese technical experts or Japanese certified experts of other origin. This is the most important and critical function as a RMG exporter. This is very important to create a highly efficient manufacturing team of strong quality-conscious behavior, with constantly adopting to improvements. To be highly efficient is to ensure a competitive cost of quality production in comparison to emerging exporters like the silent parts of China, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia with low wage level. Without this, it would not be possible to consistently survive in the Japanese market.

I do not have any particular advice or suggestions to put forward. I can only say, what we have done is,we have fitted ourselves in the total commerce--
-By arranging machinery as per Japanese standard requirement,
-By smoothly arranging raw materials specified to us,
-By arranging and maintaining production process specified to us,
-By maintaining quality control ensured by Japan, and
-By arranging and developing manpower ourselves under supervision.

We are ensuring a comfortable environment acceptable to both parties, and in the process, exporting our products duty-free under the general system of preference guidelines to one of the highest consumer-spending societies in the world and where standard-wise competition complains are valued as disgrace and not at all tolerated.

(This report is an excerpt from the auther's presentation at
Japan-Bangladesh Business Forum 2005 on September 8, 2005.)
http://www.jetro.go.jp/bangladesh/eng/pdf/Success_Story_RMG_Export.pdf
(Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry [JBCCI] Website)
http://www.jetro.go.jp/bangladesh/eng/jbcci/index.html

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