Dhaka:Prime Minister Tarique Rahman returned to Dhaka early Friday after concluding a four-day state visit to Japan. The visit was aimed at enhancing bilateral relations and expanding economic and investment cooperation between the two countries.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the Prime Minister, accompanied by his wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman and other members of his entourage, arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 248 am. They were received by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, BNP acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni, and Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani.
The return flight, operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, departed from Narita International Airport in Tokyo at 1055 pm local time, following a delay of nearly five hours due to a technical issue with the aircraft. Initially scheduled for 6 pm, the flight was halted before takeoff, and passengers were asked to disembark while the problem was addressed by Biman's engineering team and Japanese technicians.
During the visit, Tarique Rahman engaged in a bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, discussing cooperation in various sectors such as trade, energy, and infrastructure. He also met with Japanese business leaders and participated in the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Forum to promote investment opportunities in Bangladesh.
The visit resulted in the signing of six cooperation instruments and two loan agreements totaling 46.56 billion yen to support Bangladesh's development projects. Additionally, 17 memorandums of understanding were signed between private-sector entities to foster business ties and Japanese investment in Bangladesh.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir emphasized that the visit is expected to strengthen Bangladesh-Japan relations and create new opportunities for trade and development cooperation.