Rajib Dey special correspondent: The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Bangladesh, His Excellency Mr. SAIDA Shinichi, paid a courtesy call on the Honourable Minister for Cultural Affairs, Mr. Nitai Roy Chowdhury, at the latter’s office in the Bangladesh Secretariat today at 11:00 AM. The high-profile meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cultural relations, renewing historical accords, and exploring new avenues of mutual cooperation and heritage preservation.
Honourable Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury warmly welcomed the newly appointed Ambassador and expressed deep satisfaction over the historic ties between the two nations. “Japan has been a trusted, time-tested, and steadfast friend of Bangladesh since our independence in 1971. Over the last five decades, this bond has grown into a exemplary mature partnership built on mutual respect and shared values,” the Minister remarked, acknowledging Japan’s continuous support towards Bangladesh’s socio-economic national development journey.
Highlighting the strong cultural foundations, both dignitaries reviewed the landmark Cultural Agreement of 1982 and the Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) signed in Tokyo in 2005. The Minister proposed an update and renewal of the 2005 CEP through formal diplomatic channels to better align with the contemporary allocation of government businesses and modern institutional frameworks.
A key highlight of the discussion was the ongoing development of the Bangladesh Children’s Library at the Bangladesh National Museum premises. Recalling the MoU signed on April 27, 2023, with Tadao Ando Architect & Associates, the Minister conveyed heartfelt gratitude to the world-renowned architect Mr. Tadao Ando and the Government of Japan for this generous contribution. He emphasized that this state-of-the-art facility would serve as a lasting monument of Bangladesh-Japan friendship, nurturing the creativity of young minds, and requested the Embassy’s continued facilitation for its timely completion.
Ambassador SAIDA Shinichi highly commended Bangladesh’s vibrant cultural heritage, traditional arts, and literature, and assured Japan’s full commitment to deepening bilateral engagement. He confirmed Japan’s regular participation in the upcoming editions of the prestigious Asian Art Biennale organized by Bangladesh. Furthermore, the Ambassador expressed keen interest in extending collaboration towards the safeguarding of cultural properties, museum development, preservation of tangible and intangible heritage, archaeological site conservation, and joint library and archive capacity building.
Senior officials of the Ministry of Cultural and Foreign Affairs, and delegates from the Embassy of Japan in Dhaka were present during the call. The meeting concluded with a cordial exchange of corporate gifts and mementos representing the rich artistic heritage of both nations.
Views: 1
