Bangladesh eyes food exports to Japan, says minister

Food Minister Aminur Rashid Yasin said the government will take initiatives to export Bangladeshi food products to Japan, adding that stronger food safety standards will help the country expand its presence in global markets.

He made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting in the capital with a delegation led by Ichiguchi Tomuhide, chief representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The meeting discussed the Food Safety Testing Capacity Development Project, which JICA finances. Participants also discussed introducing a unified and integrated food business licensing system similar to those used in Japan and countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

JICA officials said India and Pakistan have already introduced a one-stop service system for issuing food business licences.

Under the proposed project, authorities plan to establish a food safety reference laboratory in Dhaka and two modern food testing laboratories in Chattogram and Khulna. The project also includes construction of a training facility and capacity-building activities.

Officials said the initiative will strengthen food safety testing capacity in the Dhaka, Chattogram and Khulna divisions.

The minister said Bangladesh will strengthen its capacity and pursue opportunities to export food products to Japan.

“Food safety now receives high priority worldwide. If we upgrade our food safety standards to international levels, it will become easier to export Bangladeshi food products to global markets,” he said.

Under the proposed project, authorities plan to establish a food safety reference laboratory in Dhaka and two modern food testing laboratories in Chattogram and Khulna. The project also includes construction of a training facility and capacity-building activities.

Officials said the initiative will strengthen food safety testing capacity in the Dhaka, Chattogram and Khulna divisions.

The minister said Bangladesh will strengthen its capacity and pursue opportunities to export food products to Japan.

“Food safety now receives high priority worldwide. If we upgrade our food safety standards to international levels, it will become easier to export Bangladeshi food products to global markets,” he said.

He also said Bangladeshi food products hold strong potential in international markets, where demand for such products continues to grow. However, he stressed the need for coordinated initiatives and long-term planning.

The minister urged authorities to ensure food safety at every stage, from production and processing to storage, distribution, marketing and sales.

He thanked JICA for financing the project and said successful implementation would play a significant role in strengthening the country’s food management system.

Food Secretary Md Firoz Sarkar and senior officials from the Food Ministry and JICA attended the meeting.