Experts and stakeholders are looking beyond the Chattogram and Mongla ports of Bangladesh for growth and utilizing the NER’s value chain potential. The upcoming Matarbari Deep Sea Port (DSP) in Bangladesh, being constructed with assistance from Japan, is set to be a game changer – as it will immensely benefit the North-eastern States including Tripura as well as Bangladesh. Ambassador of Japan to India Hiroshi Suzuki termed this a ‘win, win and win’ situation while speaking at the 3rd India-Japan Intellectual Conclave held in Agartala on Tuesday.
The two-day long Conclave titled, ‘North East India, Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal in the Indo Pacific Building on Partnerships: The Way Forward’, was organized by the Asian Confluence, a premier think tank based headquartered in Shillong in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of Tripura North Easter Council and Embassy of Japan, New Delhi commenced today.
Apart from Amb. Suzuki, DoNER and Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, MoS for External Affairs and Education Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, MoS for External Affairs, Bangladesh Shahriar Alam, State Industries and Commerce Minister Santana Chakma and Executive Director of the Asian Confluence Sabyasachi Dutta addressed a large gathering of academicians, Government officials, diplomats and other distinguished persons of different sectors.
With a call for further deepening cooperation between Japan, Bangladesh and North-east Indian state, the Ambassador of Japan to India referred to the warm relations between the Prime Minister of Japan, the Late Shinzo Abe and the Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh – Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina respectively, said former Japanese Prime Minister’s vision of connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans is still alive and incumbent Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his recent India visit assured that Japan would continue to implement the late Abe’s vision.
The Japanese Ambassador also said that his Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier discussed with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi the joint development of the northeastern region of India while many JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) projects are now under implementation in the region.
“Northeast India and Bangladesh value change would prosper both the countries. The use of the upcoming Matarbari deep sea port and existing Chhattagram and Mongla ports in Bangladesh would help to a great extent to the region. Both Bangladesh and the northeast region of India have a ‘win, win and win’ prospect,” he said.
Asian Confluence Executive Director Sabyasachi Dutta said that the conclave brought together a galaxy of senior policymakers, diplomats, businesses and academic institutions to make an assessment on the topic of northeast India and Bangladesh multimodal connectivity in the context of India-Japan collaboration in the Bay of Bengal region with a special focus on Tripura and the adjoining north-eastern states as a connectivity hub of the future.
* Jaydip Chakrabarti may be contacted at enewstime2017@gmail.com
