Bangladesh wants Japanese aid for sea port, bridge

DHAKA, July 24 (Reuters) Bangladesh will ask for nearly DHAKA, July 24 (Reuters) Bangladesh will ask for nearly $2.0 billion in aid from Japan to build a deep sea port and a river bridge, government officials said today ahead of a visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso.

Japan is the largest single donor to Bangladesh, having given Dhaka nearly seven billion dollars in loans, grants and technical assistance since 1972, officials said.

Aso, the first Japanese foreign minister to visit Bangladesh since 1987, is due to arrive in Dhaka today night from the Philippines. He will leave for Malaysia on tomorrow night, foreign ministry officials said.

''Primarily we will seek Japan's assistance for the deep sea port in the Bay of Bengal and the bridge over the river Padma, in the country's north,'' a foreign ministry official told Reuters.

''Also, both sides will explore other avenues where Japan can be of help to us,'' he said without elaborating.

In the 2004-05 (July-June) fiscal year, Bangladesh's exports to Japan were worth 122.41 million dollars against imports of 547.15 million dollars, officials said.

Aso will talk to his Bangladesh counterpart M Morshed Khan and meet both Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and opposition leader Sheikh Hasina.

Reuters SRS DB1247 .0 billion in aid from Japan to build a deep sea port and a river bridge, government officials said today ahead of a visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso.

Japan is the largest single donor to Bangladesh, having given Dhaka nearly seven billion dollars in loans, grants and technical assistance since 1972, officials said.

Aso, the first Japanese foreign minister to visit Bangladesh since 1987, is due to arrive in Dhaka today night from the Philippines. He will leave for Malaysia on tomorrow night, foreign ministry officials said.

''Primarily we will seek Japan's assistance for the deep sea port in the Bay of Bengal and the bridge over the river Padma, in the country's north,'' a foreign ministry official told Reuters.

''Also, both sides will explore other avenues where Japan can be of help to us,'' he said without elaborating.

In the 2004-05 (July-June) fiscal year, Bangladesh's exports to Japan were worth 122.41 million dollars against imports of 547.15 million dollars, officials said.

Aso will talk to his Bangladesh counterpart M Morshed Khan and meet both Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and opposition leader Sheikh Hasina.

Reuters SRS DB1247