The ‘BGMEA Japan Desk’ was formally inaugurated today (Wednesday) at the Nurul Quadir Auditorium of the BGMEA Complex in Uttara, under the initiative of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). Guided by the core principles of connection, cooperation, and prosperity, this special initiative aims to strengthen economic ties between Bangladesh and Japan and unlock new possibilities for bilateral trade and investment.
H.E. SAIDA Shinichi, Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, attended the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest, while BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan was present as the special guest, a press release said.
Senior representatives from the Embassy of Japan in Dhaka, JETRO Dhaka Office, Dhaka Shumu-ku-kai (JCIAD), Toyota Tsusho, Teijin Frontier, Marubeni, Itochu Corporation, and the Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI) were present at the event.
Also present on behalf of BGMEA were Senior Vice President Inamul Haq Khan (Bablu), Vice President (Finance) Mizanur Rahman, Vice President Vidya Amrit Khan, Vice President Md. Shihab Uddoja Chowdhury, Vice President Mohammad Rafiq Chowdhury, Director Nafis-ud-Dowla, Director Kazi Mizanur Rahman, Director Rumana Rashid, Director Mohammad Sohel, Director Enamul Aziz Chowdhury, and general members.
Ambassador inaugurated the ‘Japan Desk’ at the BGMEA Complex by cutting the ribbon, joined by the other attendees.
It is worth noting that the ‘Japan Market Strategy Development Committee’ was formed a year ago under the initiative of the current BGMEA board, with the specific goal of expanding garment exports to the Japanese market. Mizanur Rahman, BGMEA Vice President (Finance), serves as the Chairman of this committee, while BGMEA Director Mohammad Sohel acts as the Coordinating Director. In line with this initiative, the ‘Japan Desk’ was officially launched today at the BGMEA office.
The event, which began with registration and networking sessions, featured a formal presentation on the Bangladesh-Japan partnership.
Major General Dr. Md. Shahedul Islam (Retd.), Secretary General of BGMEA, delivered a special presentation on the organization’s overall activities.
Mizanur Rahman, BGMEA Vice President (Finance) and Chairman of the Japan Market Strategy Development Committee, delivered the welcome address. He drew the Honorable Ambassador’s attention to the need for simplifying Japanese travel visa procedures for Bangladeshi apparel entrepreneurs, particularly for marketing and merchandising officials.
Kazi Sarwar Habib, Advisor to the BGMEA Japan Committee and Managing Director of Furushima (BD) Ltd., along with Mohammad Sohel, BGMEA Director and Coordinating Director of the Japan Market Strategy Development Committee, spoke about the goals, objectives, and action plan of the BGMEA Japan Desk.
In his address as the chief guest, Japanese Ambassador Saida Shinichi extended his sincere congratulations to everyone involved in establishing the Japan Desk at the BGMEA office. He expressed optimism that this new desk would further invigorate trade between the two nations and emphasized the importance of export diversification for sustainable growth.
In his speech, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan stated that BGMEA believes relying excessively on a single sector or traditional markets is not prudent. Given this reality, BGMEA is placing the utmost importance on product and market diversification. The Japanese market, in particular, holds immense potential for Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector, and the ‘Japan Desk’ has been established at BGMEA specifically to harness this potential. He further noted that successfully managing ‘lead time’—the time taken to deliver goods—is currently the biggest challenge in exporting garments to the Japanese market.
Other guests present at the event included: Mizanur Rahman: Vice President (Finance), BGMEA, and Chairman, BGMEA Japan Committee. Daisuke Arai: Overseas Business Advisor, JETRO Dhaka Office. Yuji Wagata: President, Dhaka Sho-ku-kai (JCIAD) and Chief Representative, Toyota Tsusho Corporation. Takamasa Yamamoto: General Manager, Teijin Frontier Co. Ltd. (Dhaka Liaison Office) and Chairman, Appeal Standing Committee, Japan Chamber. Sugawara Manabu: Country Head of Bangladesh and General Manager (Dhaka & Chattogram Offices), Marubeni Corporation. Hiroaki Oura: Chief Representative and General Manager, Itochu Corporation (Dhaka Liaison Office). Tareq Rafi Bhuiyan (Jun): President, Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI).
In his address, BGMEA Senior Vice President Inamul Haque Khan highlighted the unprecedented transformation of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector, the safe working environment, compliance standards, and the long-term strategic partnership with Japan.
In their remarks, the special guests—representing the Japanese business community—highly appreciated the remarkable progress of Bangladesh’s garment sector, improvements in the working environment, and compliance standards. They noted that the long-standing relationship of trust between Japan and Bangladesh would further strengthen bilateral trade in the future. They also observed that the newly formed ‘Japan Desk’ would accelerate business connectivity between the two nations, fostering a new horizon of partnership for their economic growth.
