Chief Representative's Speech

Ms. Fatima Yasmin, Secretary, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance,
His Excellency, Mr. ITO Naoki, Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Assalam alaikum and very good morning.

I am very honored and pleased to sign the Grant Agreement on "Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship", so called JDS, followed by the Exchange of Notes on the said project.

Let me briefly describe the project on which we will sign today.

JDS is a program to nurture excellent Bangladesh officials who play a leading role in formulating and implementing social and economic development policies of Bangladesh. Since 2002, young and promising Bangladesh Civil Service officials, including Bangladesh Judicial Service officials, and Bangladesh Bank Class-1 officials, have won this scholarship and traveled to Japan every year; now total 394 officials have studied their master's and Ph.D program in Japanese universities.

Under today's agreement, another 30 officials, the young and brightest, will study two-year master's course at eight^[1] prominent Japanese Universities; in addition, 3 fellows will pursue PhD degrees in their respective fields. During the study period, various chances are also given to them to build up networks with JDS scholars from other countries as well as with Japanese academics, students and government officials. I strongly hope that after completion of their studies, they will strengthen public administrative capacity of this country, with wider and deeper knowledge and broad human networks they will gain through this program. Towards the coming 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Japan^[2], I hope the ties between our two countries will be even stronger, and ever-lasting.

Last but not least, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to our colleagues of Bangladesh government, who are working very hard to become a middle-income country. In this historically difficult time due to global Covid-19 spread, we have to tackle the issue together. Also, we should never stop investing in the people, particularly in young generation. They are the ones that create the better and sustainable world in longer perspective. Or create the future itself.

It is my great honor to be able to share this view today with all the stakeholders in Bangladesh and in Japan, and hope JDS program will contribute to strengthen the friendship and trust between two countries.

Shobaike Onek Donnobad. Thank you very much.