Dhaka to Pursue $1 Billion Soft Loan During Chief Advisor’s Japan Trip

Bangladesh will seek a US\$1 billion soft loan from Japan during Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s upcoming official visit to Tokyo, scheduled for May 28–31.

“This visit is primarily aimed at securing budgetary support,” said Acting Foreign Secretary Md Ruhul Alam Siddique at a curtain-raiser press briefing held Monday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Chief Adviser Yunus is set to leave Dhaka early Wednesday for the four-day trip, during which he will hold bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on May 30 to strengthen cooperation in a range of strategic areas.

According to Siddique, the announcement of the soft loan is expected after the bilateral talks, followed by the signing of an exchange of notes. Tokyo will roll out a red-carpet welcome for Yunus, including a ceremonial guard of honour.

The visit will focus on deepening bilateral ties, particularly in the realms of economic and strategic collaboration. Seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are likely to be signed, covering sectors such as energy, human resource development, manpower export, and the establishment of special economic zones.

Professor Yunus is also scheduled to speak at the Nikkei 30th Future of Asia Conference on May 29–30 in Tokyo, where he will deliver a keynote speech. He was invited to the forum earlier this year by Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Ikuina Akiko. Yunus received the Nikkei Asia Prize in 2004.

Siddique noted that the visit will address a wide spectrum of bilateral and multilateral issues, including trade and investment, political and economic cooperation, regional and global developments, security, and the Rohingya crisis.

Japan has reaffirmed its commitment to bolstering ties with Bangladesh under the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (Big-B) initiative and the broader Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy. These frameworks aim to support high-quality infrastructure development and the integration of Japanese manufacturing value chains in Bangladesh.

Diplomatic sources indicated that the two countries will also look to expand their strategic partnership through enhanced people-to-people connectivity, cultural exchanges, and sector-specific cooperation.

The briefing was also addressed by Director General of the East Asia & Pacific Wing Mohammed Nore-Alam and Director General of the Public Diplomacy Wing Shah Asif Rahman.