Japanese ambassador in Dhaka Ito Naoki on Tuesday said that Japan expected a ‘better election in Bangladesh than the previous one’ held on December 30, 2018.
He said that the government should take some measures from now on for holding a free and fair election.
‘Japan hopes for a better election than the previous one,’ the Japanese envoy said responding to a question at an event organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh.
The event titled ‘DCAB Talks’ was held at the National Press Club in the capital.
Ito Naoki said that Japan had issued a statement over the violence during the previous national election, expressing concerns.
Japan hopes that the media will be given space leading up to the next election to be held at the end of 2023 so that they can play their role to make sure that every vote is counted and citizens have all the opportunities to freely cast their votes, the diplomat said categorically.
He, however, said that the government had taken some positive moves like the enactment of a new law such as the Appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act after 50 years of the country’s independence.
‘I hope that the government will take more measures from now on to make sure that the elections are free and fair and better than that held in 2018,’ Ito Naoki said, adding that he has been raising this issue while talking with the government officials.
He said that he would continue to raise this issue.
The Japanese ambassador said that Japan had relaxed its regulations regarding sale of defence equipment and was now interested to sell military equipment to Bangladesh.
A Japanese private company has already visited Bangladesh to know whether it is interested to purchase defence equipment, particularly radars for its Air Force, he pointed out.
Responding to a question on the Rohingya crisis, he said that Japan did not want the Rohingyas to become a destabilsing element in the region.
He underlined the need for coordinated efforts to address the problem, particularly for ensuring a safe return of the forcibly displaced people to their homeland Myanmar.
Ito Naoki said that there was a growing interest among Japanese investors to invest in Bangladesh.
The inauguration of the megaproject Padma Bridge beside an overall improvement in infrastructure would boost foreign investors’ confidence in Bangladesh, he observed.
The ambassador also said that direct flight operations between Dhaka and Narita would soon begin, which would also create a sense of confidence among investors as the Covid pandemic delayed the overall preparations.
President of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh Rezaul Karim Lotus and secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke at the event.
