A Budding Partnership: The Growth of Japanese–Bangladeshi Politico-Strategic Ties

On Nov. 11, 2023, the 14.3-km lengthy channel of the Matarbari deep-sea port and the primary unit of the 1,200 MW Matarbari coal-fired energy plant have been inaugurated in Bangladesh. These twin tasks comprise nice significance for the nation’s financial and power safety. On the similar time, the tasks symbolize the depth of the mutually useful partnership between Bangladesh and Japan, as a result of each the deep-sea port and the ability plant are being constructed and financed by Japan. At current, the strategic ties between Dhaka and Tokyo are quickly increasing.

Historic Background

For the reason that independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Bangladesh and Japan have solid robust financial, diplomatic, and political ties. Japan acknowledged Bangladesh on Feb. 10, 1972, turning into the primary OECD member-state to acknowledge the newly unbiased state. Since then, Tokyo has emerged as the most important supply of Official Improvement Help (ODA) for Dhaka, and it has supplied, or dedicated to supply, the latter with greater than $30.32 billion within the type of grants, loans and technical help. The Japanese–Bangladeshi bilateral commerce at present quantities to greater than $4.124 billion, and the stability of funds is in Japan’s favor. In coping with Bangladesh, the Japanese have primarily centered on the financial sphere, and principally avoided interfering within the inner political processes within the nation. Consequently, no matter the get together in energy, Dhaka has maintained a detailed partnership with Tokyo over the a long time, and Japan has managed to domesticate the picture of ‘all-weather buddy’ within the nation.

Initially, Japanese curiosity in Bangladesh primarily emanated from Japanese seek for markets and investments in addition to Japan’s need to develop its affect in South and Southeast Asia. On account of the intensifying Sino–Japanese strategic competitors, limiting Chinese language affect in Bangladesh grew to become one other key Japanese goal within the nation. So, Tokyo and Beijing are at present engaged in a discreet competitors with one another in Bangladesh. Consequently, Japan’s stakes in Bangladesh are increasing. In the meantime, Bangladesh is fascinated with sustaining its shut partnership with Japan to additional its socio-economic improvement, for which it requires Japanese international direct funding (FDI), infrastructure improvement help, high-tech industrial tools, and different industrial items. Furthermore, Bangladesh wants to keep up its strategic autonomy vis-à-vis all nice and regional powers, and since Japan is a type of powers, Dhaka values its partnership with Tokyo. Accordingly, Dhaka and Tokyo have expanded the horizons of their partnership over the earlier decade.

The Progress of Japanese–Bangladeshi Politico-Strategic Ties 

Historically, Japan’s involvement in Bangladesh has been concentrated within the financial and cultural sectors. Nevertheless, Tokyo is at present in search of to forge robust political and strategic ties with Dhaka by various methods.

First, Japan is closely concerned within the socio-economic improvement in Bangladesh. At current, roughly 350 Japanese corporations are working in Bangladesh, with a mixed funding of about $380 million. The Japan Worldwide Cooperation Company (JICA) has to date financed the development of 134 bridges in Bangladesh. Japan has additionally constructed hospitals, schools, coaching institutes, and even retirement houses within the nation. At current, Japan is concerned in various main infrastructure tasks in Bangladesh, together with the Dhaka Metro Rail Venture, the Hazrat Shahjalal Worldwide Airport Terminal growth undertaking, the Chattogram Metropolis Outer Ring Highway Venture, the Chattogram WASA Karnaphuli Water Provide Venture, the Nationwide Energy Transmission Community Improvement Venture, and the Pure Gasoline Effectivity Venture.

Furthermore, Japan is establishing the Matarbari deep-sea port and the Matarbari coal-fired energy plant. Modelled on the Japanese deep-sea ports of Kashima and Niigata, the Matarbari port is the primary deep-sea port in Bangladesh. It will not solely reduce the strain on the port of Chattogram but in addition present a hub for close by landlocked areas, together with Northeast India and the Himalayan states of Nepal and Bhutan. Initially, China had proposed to construct a deep-sea port for Bangladesh on the Sonadia Island, however the undertaking was scrapped after going through opposition from India, Japan and the United States (US). As a substitute, Japan obtained the contract to assemble a deep-sea port at Matarbari, acquiring a geopolitical and geo-economic success vis-à-vis China. Thus, Japan has developed vital political and financial stakes in Bangladesh, and has develop into an vital element of Bangladesh’s financial and power safety.

Second, Dhaka and Tokyo solid a ‘complete partnership’ on 26 Might 2014. Beneath this enterprise, the 2 states initiated a bilateral dialogue on the Overseas Secretary degree, accelerated the development of the Bangladesh Peacebuilding Centre in Dhaka with Japanese help, introduced the launch of the Joint Bangladesh–Japan Public–Non-public Financial Dialogue, and dedicated themselves to the additional growth of Japanese–Bangladeshi political, financial, and cultural ties. On 26 April 2023, the 2 nations upgraded their ties to the extent of ‘strategic partnership’. Amongst different issues, Dhaka determined to open a Protection Wing within the Bangladeshi Embassy in Tokyo underneath this settlement, and in its flip, Tokyo determined to open a Nationwide Safety Wing within the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka. Furthermore, Bangladesh acknowledged its assist for a free, open, peaceable, and safe Indo-Pacific, whereas Japan expressed its assist for the secure, voluntary, and dignified repatriation of the Rohingya refugees.

Final however not the least, for the primary time within the historical past of Japanese–Bangladeshi ties, Japan has determined to supply Bangladesh with Official Safety Help (OSA), and it’s poised to provide Bangladesh with 4 patrol boats value $3.82 million underneath this framework. Bangladesh is without doubt one of the only a few nations which has been chosen for receiving Japanese OSA, and it demonstrates Bangladesh’s rising significance to Japan. As well as, the Bangladesh Armed Forces and the Japan Self-Protection Forces are creating bilateral safety cooperation by arranging for high-level visits, unit-to-unit exchanges, coaching applications and goodwill workout routines. Furthermore, vessels of the Japan Maritime Self-Protection Drive (JMSDF) have not too long ago began making frequent port calls at Chattogram, the principle seaport of Bangladesh.

Thus, Japan is steadily increasing its politico-strategic footprints in Bangladesh by growing its stakes within the latter’s conventional in addition to non-traditional safety sectors.

Strategic Implications

The rising growth of the Japanese–Bangladeshi ties signify the growing Japanese political, financial, and strategic stakes in Bangladesh. Owing to the intensification of the geopolitical competitors within the Indo-Pacific area and the Sino–Japanese strategic rivalry, Japan is in search of to develop its affect in Bangladesh and the broader Bay of Bengal area by enterprise strategically vital tasks such because the Matarbari deep-sea port, growing military-political ties with Dhaka and lengthening navy support to the nation. Accordingly, it has emerged as an vital strategic associate for Dhaka. 

In the meantime, Bangladesh is targeted on the preservation of its strategic autonomy, the acceleration of its socio-economic improvement and the modernization of its armed forces. Japan’s rising curiosity in Bangladesh has the potential to help the latter in realizing its nationwide targets. Nevertheless, the growth of the Japanese–Bangladeshi politico-strategic ties can have potential unfavorable geopolitical repercussions for Bangladesh as effectively, significantly vis-à-vis China. Therefore, Dhaka ought to fastidiously handle its ties with Tokyo to defend itself from any unfavorable fallouts whereas maximizing its politico-economic good points from the partnership.

[Photo by Prime Minister’s Office, Japan]

Md. Himel Rahman is a post-graduate pupil of Safety Research on the Division of Worldwide Relations, College of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and a contract analyst on worldwide and strategic affairs. His articles have been revealed in various retailers, together with the South Asian Voices, the Geopolitics, the Eurasia Assessment, the Every day Star and the Every day Observer. The views and opinions expressed on this article are these of the creator.