Matarbari port part of Japan’s Indo-Pacific plan

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Matarbari port part of Japan’s Indo-Pacific plan

Resolving Rohingya issues crucial, Japanese envoy
Diplomatic Correspondent | Published: 00:35, Oct 15,2021

Japanese ambassador Ito Naoki addresses the DCAB Talk at a programme organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association Bangladesh at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Thursday. — New Age photo

Japan on Thursday expressed hope of receiving pragmatic cooperation from Bangladesh in realising its vision of free and open Indo-Pacific which is a top priority in the foreign policy of the East Asian country.

‘Japan sees Bangladesh as an important partner regarding the vision of free and open Indo-Pacific. This is our top priority in the area of foreign policy,’ Japanese ambassador Ito Naoki said in a programme organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh at the National Press Club in Dhaka.

Pragmatic cooperation from Bangladesh will be crucial in realising FOIP, he said.

The ambassador described the Matarbari multi-purpose project as ‘a part of a policy vision of Japan for a free and open Indo-Pacific’ and said Matarbari’s success ‘will become a game changer’ in the geo-politically strategic location of Bangladesh.

Elaborating Japan’s long-term plan to implement at Matarbari in Maheshkhali upazila under coastal Cox’s Bazar district, the ambassador said there will be a deep seaport and a coal-fired power plant in the first phase.

There will be LNG (liquefied natural gas) and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) plants.

In the third phase, facilities of the deep seaport will be enhanced with increasing container handling facilities.

With much higher container handling capacities and 18 metres draft, the deep seaport in Matarbari will emerge as an important hub for regional connectivity and in Bangladesh maritime transportation plan compared with the Chattogram port which has been operating with only nine metres draft, he said.

Matarbari will also become a hub for energy supplies after the constructions of the coal-fired power plant and LNG and LPG terminals, Ito Naoki said, adding that the supply of LNG and LPG will be crucial for Bangladesh’s energy-mix as it has already scrapped coal-fired power plants recently.

The Japanese ambassador also spoke about the Rohingya crisis and asked Bangladesh to keep a sharp focus on repatriation of the Rohingya people to Rakhine of Myanmar for the smooth realisation of the FOIP.

If the Rohingya issue becomes a factor affecting the political instability of the country, then it will be difficult to realise the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, he said, adding, ‘This is why Japan has been trying to resolve the Rohingya issues.’

He said that ‘complete stalemate’ in Myanmar may make things ‘very difficult for repatriation to take place soon.’

Japan has taken up the Rohingya issue with the top military officials in Myanmar, the envoy said, emphasising the importance of the involvement of the international community to continue to mount pressure on Myanmar.

Creating a conducive environment in Rakhine for repatriation and ensuring a dignified life for Rohingyas by providing education, skills training and livelihood opportunities will be crucial for resolving the Rohingya issues, he said.

The FOIP, which is a vision for peace, stability and prosperity based on shared values, including democracy, human rights and rule-based international order, ‘is not against any specific country,’ the Japanese envoy claimed.

Japan is a key member of a four-country group, Quad, involving the United States, India and Australia to operate in the Indian and Pacific oceans.

The Japanese ambassador also emphasised taking conscious and concerted efforts for the improvement of the investment climate by maintaining long-term stability in politics, easing procedures for doing business, custom clearance, using telephonic transfer of money and avoiding discriminatory policies to make Bangladesh for foreign investors an destination alternative to China.

Some 300 Japanese companies are now operating in Bangladesh and 100 more companies are expected to come with one billion US dollars investment in Araihazar economic zone, which is expected to go into operation by next year, he said.

Bangladesh, with its export worth 1.3 billion US dollars, will be the largest export market for Japan in Asia soon, he said.

Japan will provide more Covid vaccine doses through Covax to Bangladesh, possibly from November in addition to over thirty lakh doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine provided so far, the envoy said, adding that Japan will also send medical equipment for hospitals and other institutions soon.

DCAB president Pantho Rahman and general secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke at the programme.

Matarbari port part of Japan’s Indo-Pacific plan

Japan on Thursday expressed hope of receiving pragmatic cooperation from Bangladesh in realising its vision of free and open Indo-Pacific which is a top priority...

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With much higher container handling capacities and 18 metres draft, the deep seaport in Matarbari will emerge as an important hub for regional connectivity and in Bangladesh maritime transportation plan compared with the Chattogram port which has been operating with only nine metres draft, he said.

Matarbari will also become a hub for energy supplies after the constructions of the coal-fired power plant and LNG and LPG terminals, Ito Naoki said, adding that the supply of LNG and LPG will be crucial for Bangladesh’s energy-mix as it has already scrapped coal-fired power plants recently.

As far as I remember, it was a Japanese company called, "Nihon Koei", an internationally renowned civil engineering consulting company, which, under the JICA finance, conducted an extensive marine survey to determine the places suitable for building deep-sea ports.

Finally, Matarbari was selected and Japan, not China or India, was asked to build the present port facility and many other infrastructure facilities that will encourage Japanese companies to invest in industries in this area.

However, as far as I know, the Japanese factory owners would give a higher preference to employ people from our Pahari tribes such as Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Tanchangya, Lushai, Pankho, Bawm, Mro, Khyang, Khumi and Chak live nearby in harmony with nature.

Japanese are aware that the Paharis are discriminated against by the Blackey Bengali. They know these people are docile compared to the impulsive Blackeys who start street-fighting without giving a second thought which is going on for days during the current Puja festival.

I have read posts written by some Blackeys including that NomoSudra Supremacist and racist @Homo Sapiens who regularly disdain our own Pahari people.

Now, the Japanese will be there to bring them out of this disdainful position. The Japanese feel they have a responsibility to uplift the position of these Paharis because Japanese and our Paharis both are Mongoloid.

We Blackey Bengalis tend to believe we are a group of white people living by accident in Asia's poorest country.