Prof Kitano focused on the Japanese model for development cooperation, explaining its feature as “long term commitment with trust” that he said, can benefit the people in the recipient country through its inclusive approach and human resource development. He also focused on the way how Japanese ODA has been facilitating the physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity, referring to the recent ODA projects in Bangladesh such as BIG-B initiative. The BIG-B initiative is a Japan-led development plan to accelerate industrial agglomeration along the Dhaka-Chittagong-Cox's Bazar belt area and beyond. Abe launched the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt (BIG-B) initiative, which he said would be the “centrepiece” of Japanese cooperation in Bangladesh. Under the BIG-B concept, he had also promised $6 billion credit for infrastructure development in which Japanese technology would be used.

Source: bd News24 March 21, 2019 16:07 UTC