Japan Elects Dhaka for New OSA to Deepen Defence Ties

Iwama Kiminori, the Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh, said on Saturday that as a result of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's historic trip to Tokyo in April, Bangladesh was chosen as one of the four candidate nations for the newly formed Official Security Assistance (OSA) to strengthen military cooperation.

Speaking during a roundtable on "materializing Japan-Bangladesh strategic partnership: diplomatic, economic, and people-to-people relations" at the embassy in Dhaka, he remarked, "This shows how much importance Japan attaches to Bangladesh."

The roundtable was hosted by the Pan-Asia Research Institute (PARI), a brand-new think tank with offices in Japan, and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam served as the keynote speaker.

Bangladesh and Japan relations witnessed a significant jump in the last decade. In 2014, during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, it was elevated to a comprehensive partnership level. During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit this April, the partnership was elevated further to strategic level.

Economic cooperation, cultural cooperation, and peace and stability are the main components of the strategic partnership.

The ambassador said for peace and stability, Japan established the cooperation framework styled OSA for the benefit of armed forces and the regional organizations of like-minded countries.

In addition to that, he said, they had started the negotiations with Bangladesh on an agreement concerning the 'Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology'. The discussion is going on in a positive manner, he said.

The roundtable was organized to, what the PARI Executive Director and Professor of Japanese studies at Dhaka University Dr Abdullah-Al-Mamun said, find out challenges and ways to materialize the Japan-Bangladesh strategic partnership.

According to the Japanese foreign ministry, as Japan is finding itself in the midst of the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II, it is essential for us to drastically strengthen our own defence capabilities as well as enhance the security and deterrence capabilities of like-minded countries in order to prevent unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, ensure the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region in particular, and create a security environment desirable for Japan.

"In order to achieve this objective, apart from Official Development Assistance (ODA) which aims for the economic and social development of developing countries, Japan has decided to establish a new cooperation framework Official Security Assistance (OSA) for the benefit of armed forces and other related organizations by providing materials and equipment as well as assistance for infrastructures development based on the security needs of the countries."

OSA is referred to in the new National Security Strategy approved by the Cabinet on December 16, 2022.

This OSA issue was mentioned in the joint statement after Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Sheikh Hasina's meeting in April.

Prime Minister Hasina acknowledged the establishment of the OSA by Japan for the benefit of armed forces and other related organizations of like-minded countries for the purpose of deepening security cooperation and looked forward to future cooperation under this framework.

The two prime ministers welcomed recent frequent port calls at Chittaong by vessels of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) and the high-level mutual visits of the Japan Self-Defence Forces and Bangladesh Armed Forces.

In light of the Memorandum of Cooperation and Exchanges formulated between the defence authorities from the two sides, they concurred to continue to promote security cooperation such as mutual visits by vessels and aircraft, unit-to-unit exchange, training programs, and goodwill exercises.

Recognizing the future potential, they welcomed the commencement of negotiations on an agreement concerning the Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology.

Prime Minister Kishida explained Japan’s efforts for fundamentally reinforcing its defence capabilities and strengthening diplomatic efforts, as illustrated in the new National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, and Defense Buildup Program.

Prime Minister Hasina shared Bangladesh’s plan and initiative for further modernizing its armed forces under the Forces Goal 2030.

Both prime ministers acknowledged the efforts by both countries to contribute to their respective regional security.

During the roundtable, the ambassador also highlighted the economic as well as people-to-people connectivity.

He said to deepen economic cooperation, the two countries established the Joint Study Group on the possibility of a Japan-Bangladesh Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in April 2023.

The third terminal of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and the entire route of the Dhaka metro rail, both constructed with Japan's support, would be inaugurated in October.

The ambassador said they had already dispatched language teachers as part of the cultural cooperation. Japanese overseas cooperation volunteers (JOCVs) will also be dispatched soon.

He said they were also trying to start the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program in Dhaka as part of hiring human resources.

State Minister Shahriar Alam thanked Japan for its contribution to Bangladesh's development.

He said Shinzo Abe's visit to Dhaka in 2014 and Prime Minister Hasina's visit to Japan in 2023 have brought special momentum to the relationship between the two countries.

Trade and investment between the countries have increased. For the first time, two-way trade has crossed the $4 billion mark, he said.

He said that with the assistance of Japan, work was being done to improve communication between Dhaka and the northeastern part of India.

He stated, "We anticipate Japan will increase its efforts to address the Rohingya problem with Myanmar.

Mahbubul Alam, the president of the top business organization Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), also participated in the roundtable discussion. Shahabuddin Ahmed, the ambassador of Bangladesh to Japan, offered a greeting on this special day.

The new PARI is led by Yuji Ando, national representative JETRO, Dhaka Office.