Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus left Tokyo this morning, concluding his four-day official visit to Japan.
“A Singapore Airlines flight carrying the Chief Adviser and his delegation departed Narita International Airport for Dhaka via Singapore at around 11:20am (Tokyo time),” Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder told BSS.
During his stay in Tokyo, the chief adviser attended nearly 20 engagements, including a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba. He is expected to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 10:40 pm.
On Friday, the third day of his tour, Yunus held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Ishiba, where both leaders agreed to finalise an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in the coming months to strengthen economic and trade ties.
Japan pledged $1.063 billion in assistance for Bangladesh’s budget support and railway development. Three agreements were signed, including $418 million as a Development Policy Loan for Economic Reform and Climate Change Resilience, $641 million for the Joydebpur-Ishwardi dual-gauge double-line railway project, and $4.2 million in grants for human development scholarships.
The Chief Adviser also spoke at the “Bangladesh Business Seminar”, where six MoUs on economic and investment cooperation were signed.
On Thursday, Bangladesh and Japan inked two MoUs to enhance the skills of Bangladeshi workers and facilitate their employment in Japan, which faces a labour shortage. The deals were signed at a seminar hosted by the Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo, attended by Muhammad Yunus.
Japanese businesses announced plans to recruit 100,000 Bangladeshi workers over the next five years.
Yunus also delivered a keynote speech at the 30th Nikkei Forum: Future of Asia and met former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad, seeking support for Bangladesh’s bid to join ASEAN.
On Friday, Soka University awarded Professor Yunus an honorary doctorate in recognition of his contributions to social innovation and global development.
The Nobel laureate, who received the Nikkei Asia Prize in 2004, had arrived in Tokyo on May 28.