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Knot it with Japan

Shahriar Feroze
JAPAN has always been a true friend of us for well over four decades. In particular, Bangladesh has been one of Japan's largest aid and development partners, but couldn't we have obtained more from Japan than what we have as friends?
The biggest lesson missed perhaps is: how a war torn country like Japan turned into an economic powerhouse. Surprisingly, Apart from the two massive red circles from the flags of Bangladesh and Japan almost nothing stands common in between the two countries.
Japan the world's largest electronics goods industry and third largest automobile producing nation would have invested in many of the related sectors long ago if we could have ensured a business friendly environment.
Coupled with an entourage of some 50 top executives belonging to a variety of commercial sectors Shinzo Abe’s visit has more of an aroma of a business visit , behind which he is reported to be seeking Bangladesh's support for a non-permanent seat for Japan at the UN. But as it's widely understood it's investment that the Japanese have foremost in their minds. If that's so, let's hope we have prepared ourselves in advance. Given the sheer size and enthusiasm of the business entourage team we need to make sure that the visit not ends with only high hopes and MoU signings, but with confirmed specific investment deals.
It's believed that Japanese proposals may include financial supports for linking Dhaka with Matarbari near the port city of Chittagong, establishment of an industrial zone and an industrial park amounting to large sums, but much out of this investment horizon still remains unexplored.
In spite of having a friend like Japan it's rather unfortunate that we have progressed so little in making cars, not for exports, but at least for our domestic market. We should seek Japanese technical and financial assistance in terms of producing low cost and environment friendly automobiles. We need to think beyond the lines of only Japanese investments, and focus more deeply on how we can thrive in creating joint-venture business schemes.
Who knows, Toyota's future target market in South-East Asia may appear more viable and profitable from having a manufacturing plant located in Bangladesh than in Japan's Aichi? Potentials for a joint electronic industry should be explored. Moreover, the prospect of Bangladesh workers recruitment in Japan has never been untapped.
The potentials of Abe's visit with the many of the Japanese business executives is huge, but it's largely up to us to ensure that Bangladesh is an ideal destination for Japanese investments.
A quote about contemporary Japan seems most appropriate during Abe's visit and that is - "Japan never considers time together as time wasted. Rather, it is time invested." The Japanese way of investing has begun.