Yunus returns home completing 4-day Japan tour

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus returned home early today, wrapping up his four-day official tour to Japan.

A flight of Singapore Airlines, carrying the CA landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 12:15am on Sunday, his Deputy Press Secretary Apurba Jahangir told UNB.

"Our relations with Japan have reached a new height through the Chief Adviser's visit and the bilateral meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister," CA's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters in Tokyo on Friday night.

On the third day of his tour on Friday, Yunus held a bilateral meeting with Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba.

The two leaders pledged to conclude an Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and Bangladesh in the coming months, with the aim of deepening economic and trade relations between the two friendly nations.

Ishiba also announced a commitment of $1.063 billion to Bangladesh for budget support and railway development.

Later, three documents on exchange of notes were signed in the day, respectively on the Development Policy Loan for Economic Reform and Strengthening Climate Change Resilience ($418 million), the Loan for the Joydebpur-Ishwardi dual-gauge double-lane railway project ($641 million) and the grant for the human development scholarship ($4.2 million).

Yunus also addressed the "Bangladesh Business Seminar" on the same day, where the two countries signed six MoUs on economic, investment, and other areas of cooperation.

On Thursday, Bangladesh and Japan signed two memorandums of understanding to enhance the skills of Bangladeshi manpower and facilitate their employment in Japan, as the country faces a shortage of workers.

The agreements were signed at a human resources seminar hosted by the Bangladesh Embassy in Japan, in the presence of the chief adviser.

Earlier, at the programme, Japanese authorities and businesses announced plans to recruit at least 100,000 workers from Bangladesh over the next five years to address the country's growing labour shortage.

The same day, the CA delivered a keynote speech at the 30th Nikkei Forum: Future of Asia. Yunus is a recipient of the Nikkei Asia Prize in 2004.

On the sidelines of the Nikkei Forum, Prof Yunus held a meeting with former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad and urged him to support Bangladesh in its bid to become a member of the ASEAN.

Meanwhile, Yunus received an honorary doctorate from Soka University on Friday in recognition of his contributions to social innovation and global development.

The chief adviser went to Tokyo on Wednesday.