Bangladesh and Japan have agreed to develop the Matarbari-Maheshkhali area into a major hub for logistics, energy and industry, with the Matarbari Deep Sea Port at its centre, The Daily Star reported on 27 October 2026 after a summit in Tokyo between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the leaders agreed to upgrade the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B) into “BIG-B for Shared Prosperity”, with strengthening connectivity as the first of four pillars. Prime Minister Takaichi said Japanese private investment in Bangladesh could reach up to one trillion yen over five years.
Japan also agreed a 50 billion yen (about $317 million) emergency support loan for economic resilience and stable energy supply, the first yen loan under its POWERR Asia initiative, The Daily Star reported.
Before the visit, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam told bdnews24.com that Japan, which is financing the Matarbari port, wants to build an “industrial value chain” around it, and that the port expansion had been designed around the capacity needed for trade expected a decade ahead.
Source
- The Daily Star: “Japan to provide $317m loan to Bangladesh for economic resilience, energy security” (27 October 2026)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: “Japan-Bangladesh Summit Meeting” (27 October 2026)
- bdnews24.com: “Dhaka metro rail cost reduction on agenda for Tarique’s Japan visit” (20 October 2026)
File photo: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at a luncheon in Tokyo on the day of the summit, 27 October 2026. Photo: Press Information Department / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This article is a summary prepared by Maritime News BD from the report(s) listed above; it was not independently reported by Maritime News BD.
