World trade and international freight transport rely mainly on the maritime industry, while the maritime industry in turn depends on the efficient and sustainable operations of ports and shipping businesses. The Indo-Pacific region, specifically the Bay of Bengal, holds a central position in the global oceanic landscape. Asia is the region on which nearly all major, medium, and minor powers are focusing their attention. Japan’s vision of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” and the Bay of Bengal region historically have served to connect the eastern and western hemispheres of the world. Japan’s idea of "Multi-layered Connectivity" in the Indo-Pacific fits in with Bangladesh’s growing quest to build quality and useful infrastructure that will turn the country into one of the most attractive places for foreign investment in the entire region.

Bangladesh has pursued a policy of development focused on building massive infrastructure projects with the vision of making Bangladesh a developed country by 2041. Japan has been playing a key role in investing in the infrastructure mega-projects to help attain this dream. Japanese funding for the construction of the first deep seaport at Matarbari in the greater Chittagong will help Bangladesh overcome her deep seaport jinx. Once operational, the Matarbari deep seaport will host big vessels, making it unnecessary for businessmen to depend on Colombo, Kelang and Singapore for importing and exporting. It will reduce shipping costs dramatically. Development of the port will contribute to a wide range of domestic industrial sectors, including the RMG industry. Matarbari Port will promote foreign trade and have a significant economic effect, generating a 2% increase in GDP at maximum. Once the Matarbari deep seaport is in operation it will likely transform Bangladesh into a regional hub in the Bay of Bengal and South Asian regions. 

The Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI), the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan implemented the research project titled “Bangladesh’s First Deep Seaport: Matarbari Heralds a New Vista in the Bay of Bengal Region”. The project was successfully implemented between October 2023 to March 2024.
The national seminar schedule on 19^th March 2024 is aimed at sharing the findings with key stakeholders. This seminar will be hosted by OPRI-SPF.

Inquery for the seminar: Emadul Islam
  Research Fellow, Ocean Policy Research Institute, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation
  e-islam(at)spf.or.jp  *please change "(at)" to "@"