Bangladesh has sought Japan’s cooperation in transforming the country into a regional aviation hub and expanding development in the civil aviation and tourism sectors.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat held a courtesy meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi at the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka today (2 September).
During the meeting, they discussed the government’s plans for developing the country’s aviation and tourism sectors.
The minister said Japan is a trusted development partner of Bangladesh and expressed the government’s interest in having Japan’s support in the country’s journey to become an aviation hub.
He added that the recently launched direct Dhaka-Narita flight by Biman Bangladesh Airlines reflects Bangladesh’s growing commitment to strengthening connectivity and cooperation between the two countries.
The minister also said the government is committed to inaugurating the newly built Terminal-3 of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport within the scheduled timeframe.
He said starting the Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) activities as soon as possible is essential for the timely opening of the terminal.
The techno-financial evaluation of proposals submitted by the Japanese Sub-working Group (SWG) has already been completed, while negotiations are expected to begin next week.
He added that work is ongoing at the ministry level regarding the Letter of Assurance required for the successful operation of Terminal-3.
The minister also highlighted the potential of heritage tourism in Bangladesh, saying the country has more than 500 heritage tourism spots.
He said the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs are jointly working to develop these sites.
He also expressed Bangladesh’s interest in working with Japan under a public-private partnership model to develop Buddhist tourism and attract Japanese investment in the tourism sector.
Japanese Ambassador Saida Shinichi reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to working closely with Bangladesh in implementing the government’s election manifesto.
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