Bangladesh and Japan have agreed to strengthen cooperation on infrastructure development, transport modernization, and public transport, including metro rail. The issue was discussed on Tuesday at a courtesy meeting in the Road Transport and Highways Division conference room at the Secretariat between Sheikh Rabiul Alam, minister for road transport and bridges, shipping, and railways, and Uno Yoshimasa, special adviser to Japan’s prime minister.

Sheikh Rabiul Alam thanked Japan for its longstanding support for Bangladesh’s infrastructure and communications sectors. He said Japan’s continued assistance as a development partner was highly important, particularly for building modern, safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly public transport systems. He said Japanese experience, technical knowledge and technical cooperation were playing an important role in developing such systems, including metro rail.

Yoshimasa said modern and sustainable public transport infrastructure was essential to match Bangladesh’s growing urbanization and economic growth. He said both countries could work more closely on infrastructure, metro rail, rail connectivity and road transport on the basis of mutual trust and cooperation. He also assured continued Japanese support for Bangladesh’s development. Senior transport officials and the managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited attended the meeting.