AA News Desk.

Japanese ambassador in Dhaka Iwama Kiminori on Wednesday said the upcoming national election of Bangladesh is an ‘internal affair’ of the country and he would not comment on it.

Iwama Kiminori made this remarks at a press conference on prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit to Japan, at his office in Dhaka on Wednesday morning.

Replying to a query on whether he backed the comment on election made by his predecessor Ito Naoki, envoy Iwama Kiminori said, “I have no knowledge on what my predecessor spoke about. However, I will refrain myself from making any comment on this issue as election is an internal affair of Bangladesh.”

On 14 November 2022, then Japanese ambassador in Dhaka Ito Naoki said he heard that police officials stuffed ballot boxes at night before the voting [in last elections] and he never heard of any such incident happening in any other country.

Ito Naoki hoped there would be no chance to do that in the next national election. The country needs a free and fair election. It is his firm expectation.

Responding to a question on Bangladesh’s Indo-Pacific Outlook, the ambassador said there are many similarities between that and Japan’s views on the Indo-Pacific region.

He said the Japanese side appreciated the idea but it is a “little premature” to evaluate the outlook at the moment.

During the summit meeting in Tokyo, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio welcomed the initiation of negotiations concerning the transfer of defence equipment and technology, recognising future potential.

They decided to “elevate” the bilateral relationship to a “Strategic Partnership” as a guiding principle to lead the two countries’ journey into the next 50 years and beyond.

Both leaders shared the determination to enhance cooperation specifically in three major areas: cooperation for peace and stability in the region and beyond, deepening economic cooperation for mutual benefit and regional prosperity, and expansion of cultural cooperation and people to people exchanges.

At the invitation of the Japanese prime minister, Hasina made an official visit to Japan and had a summit meeting on April 26.