Chairman of today’s august ceremony Mr. Abu Hena Mohd. Razee Hasan,   Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank (BB), Special Guest His Excellency Mr. Shiro Sadoshima, Honorable Ambassador of Japan in Bangladesh, Mr. Takayuki Kawakami, First Secretary of Japan  Embassy Mr. Kazuya Izumi, Director of  Japan Min,  representatives from Mitsui & Co., representatives of different print and electronic media, other distinguished guests,  and my fellow colleagues a very good afternoon and warm welcome to you all on behalf of myself & Bangladesh Bank.

At the beginning I would like to express my heartfelt congratulation to Japan Mint officials for gifting us 3000 Souvenir Coin Set consists of 6 Japanese coins and one piece 2 Taka Bangladesh coin. I would like to reminisce one of our closest bondages that took place in the beginning of the 20^th century, when Rabindranath  Tagore and Tenshin Okakura, a distinguished Japanese fine arts scholar, and Taikan Yokoyama, a Japanese master of painting were profoundly affected and influenced with each other’s work through their friendship.

As a time tested friend Japan remains one of the largest development partners of Bangladesh since her liberation in 1972; in close association through economic and technical cooperation, cultural exchanges and mutual visits. Let me recount some facts that help understand how Bangladesh- Japan tie has been enhancing our mutual high fidelity in the trajectory of development and prosperity. Japan is the 3^rd largest development partner of Bangladesh, 7^th largest destination of our exports, 5^th largest source of imports and in case of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bangladesh Japan ranks 8^th. As a part of BB implemented “Financial Sector Project for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise” project, the Government of Bangladesh and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a loan agreement on 18 May 2011 with a fund of 5 billion Japanese Yen, including technical assistance. BB with cooperation from JICA also set up a BDT 1 billion revolving credit line to support RMG factories in Bangladesh. I am very glad to recollect the recent visit of Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Japan and Japan’s premiere H.E. Shinzo Abe’s visit to Bangladesh, that have renewed and reinforced the bilateral relationship between the two countries and will take this relationship further towards new heights.

Looking at stronger and closer tie ahead between Bangladesh and Japan, I would like to earnestly welcome and urge Japanese friends present here to work together in taking full advantage of all the existing and new facilities and bring about a major new upturn in our bilateral trade, investment and business relations.

Long live Japan-Bangladesh friendship! Let me conclude here.

Thanks a lot for your patient hearing.