Japan brings Bangladesh into the folds of new security framework
The Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori declared that Tokyo had included Dhaka in its 'Official Security Assistance (OSA)' framework to bolster defense cooperation between the two nations.
The OSA, which was activated in April 2023, represents Japan's fresh security initiative aimed at providing military aid to 'like-minded' nations amidst the escalating regional security landscape. Currently, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Fiji are the other countries incorporated within the OSA.
Beyond Japan's aspirations to play a more active role in the geopolitical scenario of the region, the selection of countries for the OSA reflects a shared context in which these nations operate.
Japan has established substantial economic partnerships across Asia, notably with Bangladesh. Dhaka has benefited from approximately 25 billion US dollar in development and economic aid from Tokyo since 1972, with roughly US$9.2 billion provided as overseas development assistance.
Japanese entities played a pivotal role in constructing Dhaka's metro line. However, the most significant aspect of Japan's economic involvement was taking over the Matarbari deep seaport project from Chinese developers.
Despite the economic ties, the less-discussed facet of the bilateral relationship revolves around potential defense cooperation, holding significant importance for both countries amidst rising global geopolitical tensions.
The OSA initiative will provide grants, not loans, designed to fortify the region's 'comprehensive defense architecture' without imposing a repayment burden. This move will assist Dhaka in making substantial strides toward its objective of modernizing its military capabilities.
While Bangladesh aims to maintain geopolitical neutrality amid the power struggle between the US and China in Asia, the rhetoric between Dhaka and Washington has intensified recently.
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