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Japan may provide 500 million US dollars as budgetary support for Bangladesh, against its request for one-billion-dollar, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday.
"We are expecting 500 million dollar budget support from Japan during the visit of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus," said Press Secretary to the CA, Shafiqul Alam, on Tuesday.
Addressing a press briefing, he also said Japan might provide another 250 million dollars for development of railway infrastructure.
Professor Muhammad Yunus was scheduled to leave Dhaka for Tokyo in the early hours of today (Wednesday) on a four-day official visit.
He will attend the 30th Nikkei Forum Future of Asia tomorrow and will have bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Friday.
During the visit, two seminars will be held - one on investment by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), where hundreds of businessmen of both countries will discuss the economic future.
The other seminar will be on skilled labourers or workers hosted by the Bangladesh side with Japanese public private engagement, the envoy said, adding that on both occasions, some MoUs are to be signed.
Mr Shafiq said the CA was giving priority to sending more skilled Bangladeshis to Japan.
"We have a target to send 100,000 skilled people," he said.
This will be Prof Yunus' first visit to Japan as the Chief Adviser, said the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Prof Yunus visited Japan multiple times, including the visit to attend the 2004 Nikkei Asia Prize award ceremony and the participation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Opinion Leader Invitation Programme in 2007.
He is scheduled to arrive at Narita International Airport at 2:30pm (Tokyo time) today and is expected to return home on Saturday, wrapping up his tour.
Officials said a total of seven MoUs are likely to be signed during the official visit of the Chief Adviser.
Taro Aso, President of the Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship League, will pay a courtesy call on the Chief Adviser on May 28.
He will attend a dinner to be hosted in his honour by the President of the Nippon Foundation, Yohei Sasakawa, where Japanese political and business leaders will be present.
Following the dinner, the Chief Adviser will hold an interactive meeting with Japanese dignitaries.
On May 29, Prof Yunus will be called on by high-ranking officials of Nikkei before the opening of the 30th Nikkei Forum Future of Asia.
In the inaugural plenary session, the Chief Adviser will deliver a keynote speech, calling on Asia and the wider world to work together and build a better future on the theme 'Asia's Challenge in a Turbulent World'.
Dr Tanaka Akihiko, President of JICA, will also make a courtesy call on the Chief Adviser.
During the meeting, JICA's future cooperation with Bangladesh and the progress in various ongoing projects funded by JICA will be discussed.
In February this year, Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Ikuina Akiko invited Chief Adviser Prof Yunus to visit Japan for the Nikkei 30th Future of Asia event to be held on May 29-30 in Tokyo. Prof Yunus is also a recipient of the Nikkei Asia Prize in 2004.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com