Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will fly to Tokyo early Monday on his first official visit to Japan, as Dhaka seeks to attract billions of dollars in private investment to revive economic growth and generate millions of jobs, officials said.

Tarique Rahman, whose Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a landslide victory in the February general election, follows in the footsteps of his mother, three-time former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and his father, former President Ziaur Rahman, both of whom visited Japan while in office.

Officials said the prime minister aims to transform Bangladesh-Japan relations, shifting the focus from development assistance toward private-sector investment that could accelerate growth in an economy the IMF projects will expand by just over 3%.

"We are seeking a new phase in our partnership. For many years, Japanese support came largely through official development assistance. Going forward, we want to attract substantial Japanese investment that will help position Bangladesh as a manufacturing hub and an export gateway," said Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, economic affairs adviser to the prime minister.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Titumir, a former professor of development economics at Dhaka University, will accompany the prime minister during the visit.

Titumir said Bangladesh hopes Japanese manufacturers will relocate part of their production capacity to the country, noting that the government has established a dedicated industrial park for Japanese investors.

"Japanese companies have played a major role in the industrial transformation of many East and Southeast Asian economies including China and South Korea. We hope Bangladesh can become part of that success story," he said.

Humayun Kabir, state minister for foreign affairs, who is also accompanying the prime minister, said Dhaka wants to elevate relations with Tokyo.

"We hope to advance our ties into a comprehensive economic partnership," he said, adding that both sides were finalizing a joint statement expected to reflect the deepening relationship.

Officials from the foreign ministry and the Invest Bangladesh Authority said Japanese trade officials had informed them that Japanese firms operating in Bangladesh were planning investments worth about one trillion yen ($6.35 billion) over the coming years.

"Japanese officials have indicated that these companies intend to invest roughly one trillion yen in Bangladesh over the next several years. These funds will come from private investors rather than development assistance programs," said Nahian Rahman, deputy head of the Invest Bangladesh Authority.

Nahian said the figure includes between $1.5 billion and $2 billion that Japanese power and energy company JERA has expressed interest in investing in a land-based LNG terminal in Matarbari, where Bangladesh is developing an energy hub, a port township and a deep-sea port with support from JICA under Japan's Big-B Initiative.

JERA has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Bangladesh's power generation sector.

Bangladesh needs a land-based LNG terminal, as its two existing Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) facilities have proven insufficient and remain vulnerable to operational disruptions, limiting the country's ability to meet rising industrial gas demand.

Officials said JERA is keen to sign a memorandum of understanding with Bangladesh for the project. However, Dhaka intends to conduct an open tender process to ensure competitive bidding.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to visit a JERA LNG facility during the four-day trip.

Officials said he will also tour a Toyota automobile manufacturing plant in Nagoya and meet company executives.

Nahian said Toyota is making its first direct investment in Bangladesh by committing at least $40 million to establish two sales centers in Dhaka and Chattogram.

"Construction of the two facilities is expected to begin next month," he said.

According to Nahian, Toyota executives met the prime minister earlier this month in Dhaka and expressed interest in establishing a hybrid vehicle assembly plant in Bangladesh in 2027-28. Officials said the project could attract a further $500 million in investment over the coming years.

Nahian said the prime minister will meet Japanese corporate executives at an economic forum in Tokyo on October 28, with major manufacturers expected to attend.

He will also hold talks with the board of Fast Retailing, parent company of the Uniqlo brand. Uniqlo founder and Chief Executive Officer Tadashi Yanai is expected to lead the board.

Uniqlo previously operated stores in Bangladesh through a joint venture with social business enterprises founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former interim government chief Professor Muhammad Yunus.

The venture aimed to provide affordable, high-quality clothing but was later discontinued.

Dhaka hopes to attract flagship Uniqlo stores to Bangladesh while encouraging the company to expand sourcing and manufacturing partnerships with local garment producers. Uniqlo already sources garments worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually from Bangladeshi factories.

Nahian said Sumitomo Corporation, the Japanese trading giant, is expected to develop the second phase of the Japanese Economic Zone outside Dhaka. The prime minister will encourage more Japanese manufacturers to establish operations there.

Finance and foreign ministry officials said Bangladesh would seek cooperation and investment in sectors including automobile manufacturing, semiconductors, solar panels, infrastructure, fertilizer production, energy and skilled-worker recruitment.

A foreign ministry official said Dhaka is expected to sign loan agreements worth around $2 billion with Tokyo during the visit. The financing will support budgetary needs linked to the energy crisis as well as infrastructure projects, including a new metro rail line.

Bangladesh has developed several metro rail projects with Japanese financing.

"We value Japan's continued support in helping Bangladesh manage the impact of global energy market volatility," said a finance ministry official who requested anonymity.

The official said Bangladesh received 50 billion yen, or approximately $314 million, in Japanese assistance during the fiscal year that ended in June to address energy-related challenges.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to meet Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in a bilateral meeting on October 27. He will also meet Taro Aso, former Japanese prime minister and current head of the Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentary Friendship League, to discuss bilateral cooperation.

He is also expected to meet the heads of JETRO, JICA and JBIC, as well as Yohei Sasakawa, chairman of both the Nippon Foundation and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

Several agreements and cooperation instruments are expected to be signed during the visit.

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