Bangladesh seeks Japanese investment to develop heritage tourism

Dhaka: Bangladesh has sought Japanese investment in its heritage and Buddhist tourism sectors as the government looks to create a more investment-friendly environment for tourism development.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat made the call during a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh SAIDA Shinichi at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism in Dhaka on September 2.

The minister said Bangladesh has more than 500 heritage tourism sites across the country, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism is working jointly with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to develop these destinations.

He also said the government wants to work with Japan under a public-private partnership (PPP) model to develop Buddhist tourism in Bangladesh.

“We are working to create a favorable environment and take necessary initiatives to attract Japanese investors to Bangladesh’s tourism sector,” the minister said.

He invited proposals from Japanese investors for the development of Bangladesh’s heritage tourism sector.

The minister highlighted Japan as a trusted development partner of Bangladesh and sought Tokyo’s cooperation in transforming Bangladesh into a regional aviation hub.

He said the recently launched direct Dhaka-Narita flight operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines reflects Bangladesh’s growing interest and commitment to strengthening connectivity and cooperation between the two countries.

Regarding the newly constructed Terminal 3 at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Millat said the government is committed to opening the terminal on time and stressed the need to begin the Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) process as soon as possible.

He said the techno-financial evaluation of a proposal submitted by the Japanese Sub-working Group (SWG) has already been completed, while negotiations are expected to begin next week.

Work is also underway at the ministry level on a Letter of Assurance required for the successful operation of Terminal 3, he added.

The Japanese ambassador congratulated Millat on his appointment as the full minister and reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to working closely with the Bangladesh government to support the implementation of its election manifesto.

The two sides also discussed the government’s plans for the development of Bangladesh’s civil aviation and tourism sectors.