Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has invited Japanese business conglomerate Marubeni Corporation to invest in Bangladesh’s information technology (IT), fertiliser and energy sectors, as the government seeks to unlock the country’s economic potential and attract domestic and foreign investment.
 
He made the invitation when a high-level delegation led by Marubeni President and CEO Masayuki Omoto paid a courtesy call on him at his office at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Sunday morning, Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Shadhin said.
 
During the meeting, the prime minister highlighted the longstanding business ties between Bangladesh and Marubeni in jute products and stressed the need to expand cooperation into new sectors.
 
Discussions covered investment opportunities in IT, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, fertiliser and energy, as well as the possibility of establishing a second Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (KAFCO) plant in Bangladesh.
 
Tarique Rahman also highlighted the potential of the country’s IT sector, skilled workforce and prospects for becoming an international service hub.
 
He outlined the government’s plan to enhance the IT and cybersecurity skills of Bangladeshi engineering graduates, noting that the country could emerge as a major international service hub by leveraging its human resources, technological capabilities and competitive services.
 
The possibility of establishing an AI-powered data centre in Bangladesh within the next 12 months was also discussed, along with potential investment and technological cooperation from Marubeni.
 
The two sides further discussed the use of modern technologies and AI in agriculture to improve production and management, including through potential investment and technical assistance from the Japanese company.
 
On fertiliser production, they discussed expanding Marubeni’s existing investment in KAFCO and establishing a second plant in the country. Marubeni expressed interest in the proposal, Shadhin said.
 
The meeting also expressed optimism that the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Bangladesh and Japan would further strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries.
 
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Technology Rehan Asif Asad, and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr Md Shakirul Islam Khan were present at the meeting.
 
Marubeni was also represented by its Chief Executive Officer for Southwest Asia Susumu Wakamori and its Country Head in Bangladesh Manabu Sugawara.