Understanding with Tokyo widens

Japan is one country with whom Bangladesh has had an essentially two-layered relationship from the very inception: people-to-people and government-to-government. The inter-people empathy dating back to our liberation war days mingled with the then Japanese government's unflinching moral support to our cause to lay a solid foundation to the bilateral ties.

As if in a tribute paid to the long-standing good relations with Tokyo, Dhaka has reaffirmed its support to Japan's bid for membership in the United Nations Security Council. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reciprocated the friendly overture by praising Bangladesh's role in the UN peacekeeping missions and her initiatives for greater regional cooperation.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The exchange of pleasantries, one cannot fail to notice, took on a down-to-earth character which, to our mind, is a welcome sign of maturity attained in the relationship.

In purely practical terms, the two governments have signed three agreements -- on apprentice training for Bangladeshi workers in Japan, disaster management and cultural exchange. Early warning system being our weak point in the disaster preparedness area, it is good to know that Japan will provide us with high-tech meteorological instruments. The accord to stage cultural events annually can help bolster relationship at the people's level. The youth training programme will benefit our small and medium sized industries.

Some new areas of cooperation that have been already identified but would require further collaboration concern law enforcement, human security, environmental protection and development of small and medium enterprises in Bangladesh. Follow-up is of critical importance.

We want the third dimension of bilateral relationship e.g. private sector-to-private interaction to bloom and add up to the people-to-people and government-to-government ties between us.