The recent visit to Japan by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has substantial geopolitical ramifications due to several aspects, such as the development of diplomatic ties, economic cooperation, and strategic alliances. The visit also highlights Bangladesh’s growing strategic significance in the Indo-Pacific area and its crucial role as a partner in Japan’s vision of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Japan’s relations with Bangladesh, the Prime Minister along with members of her entourage departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 7:56 a.m. aboard a special Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight. Sheikh Hasina visited Japan for the first time in July 1997. After that, she visited Japan in November 2010. At that time, she laid the foundation stone of the embassy in Tokyo on land bought by Bangladesh. This is her sixth trip to Japan. She had a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. A total of eight agreements or memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in the areas of agriculture, metro rail, industrial upgrading, ship recycling, customs matters, intellectual property, defense cooperation, ICT and cyber security cooperation, etc. are likely to be signed between the two nations during Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Japan. Additionally, while in Tokyo, Sheikh Hasina will meet with Yoshimasa Hayashi, the foreign minister of Japan. She will also participate in a number of additional bilateral meetings, including those with the directors of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship League (JBPFL), and the Japan-Bangladesh Committee for Commercial and Economic Cooperation (JBCCEC).
Since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971, Japan and Bangladesh have had a long-standing close relationship. Bangladesh’s development has received significant backing from Japan, one of the first nations to acknowledge Bangladesh’s independence. Bangladesh has received significant financial support from Japan over the years in the form of grants, loans, and technical help. Roads, bridges, power plants, and telecommunications networks have all been made possible in Bangladesh because of this financial assistance. Bangladesh’s educational system has also received support from Japan, including the building of technical institutions and the awarding of scholarships to Bangladeshi students.
Bangladesh’s contribution to the Indo-Pacific region has been highlighted by the PM’s recent visit. The idea of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” which aims to promote economic development, security, and stability in the region, has been advocated by Japan. Due to its strategic position at the intersection of South and Southeast Asia, Bangladesh is a key actor in the region, and the country’s expanding connections with Japan may promote closer regional collaboration.
Japan has long donated to Bangladesh voluntarily, but they also have their political objectives. Sonadia Island was supposed to serve as Bangladesh’s deepest harbor to accommodate the largest mother vessels. Bangladesh had undertaken a well-publicized initiative in the Bay of Bengal that accelerated Chinese ambitions in the Indian Ocean in terms of both economic and strategic. As a result, there was the competition between China and India over proposals to develop a deep-water port in Sonadia. They both desired to have an impact on Bangladesh. China agreed to provide the necessary funding for the implementation of the deep-sea port project at Sonadia, which was first proposed in 2006. The most intriguing finding was that Sonadia is in the optimum location to develop a deep-sea port, according to a 2006 research by Japan. But via India’s provocation, they adopted the complete opposite stance in the latter. Additionally, Bangladesh bowed to pressure from India and decided to build the nation’s first deep-sea port in the Maheshkhali neighborhood of Cox’s Bazar. India took a diplomatic posture in this situation, later managing Japan and providing funding for this project.
The Diaoyu or Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea are a source of ongoing hostilities between China and Japan due to historical and territorial disagreements. Divergent assertions by the two nations to the islands have led to rising tensions in recent years as a result of increased maritime activity and military bravado in the area. The Japanese occupation of sections of China during World War II is the root of historical tensions between China and Japan in addition to the geographical concerns. The two nations have had sporadic flare-ups as a result of these tensions, including protests and boycotts.
To counter China’s escalating influence, a powerful alliance between Japan, Bangladesh, and India has existed in the area for a long time. Sheikh Hasina appears to be planning fresh actions to fortify the foundation. The adage “There are many benefits if you can be a true friend of America” is widespread in international politics. Prime examples include Japan and South Korea. Bangladesh, therefore, desires to keep up positive ties with Japan.
Fumio Kishida, the prime minister of Japan, recently paid a visit to India and, as usual, met with Narendra Modi. There, he suggested creating an industrial zone in Bangladesh’s Matarbari region, where the goods would be produced and exported to the Seven Sisters of India. The primary members of the Quad, a nearly formalized military alliance, are Japan and India. Therefore, there is a strategic problem at hand. Japan is making every effort to prevent Bangladesh from approaching China.
The United States and Bangladesh have had significant disagreements in recent years over a variety of topics, including human rights abuses, a dearth of democracy, and the prohibition of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), a special forces unit of the Bangladeshi police. Concerns regarding Bangladesh’s human rights situation, including claims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings by security personnel, have been raised by the US. The lack of democracy in Bangladesh has also drawn criticism from the US, particularly in the months before the country’s 2018 elections. The claims of intimidation and harassment of opposition candidates and supporters, as well as limitations on media freedom, raised concerns with the US State Department.
This indicates that the West is exerting significant pressure on the Bangladeshi administration. In that circumstance, Bangladesh might also hire nations nearby, but because America encourages democracy, Narendra Modi’s political objective causes America a great deal of trouble. Therefore, several think tanks contend that the government can use Japan to lessen the pressure coming from the West. The West has said that they will watch the upcoming twelfth parliamentary elections from the frontlines. The Prime Minister’s visit is now more significant as a result. But how much Japan can neutralize the West is still up for debate.
