Japan-Bangladesh Chamber Of Commerce Elects Kazuiki Kataoka As President For 2026-28 Term

Dhaka, September 25, 2026 — The Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI) has elected Kazuiki Kataoka, country representative of the JETRO Dhaka office, as its president for a two-year term (2026-28). The election was held on September 13 and 23, 2026, according to a press release issued by the chamber.

🇯🇵 Kazuiki served as joint secretary general of the outgoing board — bringing continuity and institutional knowledge to the presidency. His election comes at a moment of growing Japan-Bangladesh economic engagement, with Japanese investment in Bangladesh expanding across multiple sectors.

👥 New JBCCI Office Bearers (2026-28)

• 👑 President: Kazuiki Kataoka — Country Representative, JETRO Dhaka
• 📜 Secretary General: Rabiul Alam — Managing Director, MKK Logistics
• 💰 Treasurer: Kenji Kimura — Chief Representative, MUFG Bank Dhaka
• 📜 Vice-President 1: Abu Zaman Md Tariqul Islam — Managing Director, Yusen Logistics (Bangladesh)
• 📜 Vice-President 2: Syed Samiul Huq — Director, Japan Solartech Bangladesh
• 📜 Joint Secretary General: Oliver Kutz — Managing Director, JT International Bangladesh Ltd
• 💰 Joint Treasurer: Saumitra Kumar Mutsuddi — Head of Corporate Affairs, BSRM Ltd

👥 Board of Directors (16 Members)

The following individuals were elected to the 16-member board of directors:

• Tareq Rafi Bhuiyan (Jun)
• Hiroaki Oura
• Kabir Ahmed
• Atsushi Hirakuri
• AKM Ahmedul Islam Babu
• Kenichiro Kawamoto
• Farzanah Chowdhury
• Hironori Yamanaka
• Mudassir Murtaza Moin

💼 Profiles Of Key Office Bearers

Kazuiki Kataoka — President

As Country Representative of JETRO Dhaka, Kataoka brings deep knowledge of Japan-Bangladesh trade and investment relations. JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) is the Japanese government's trade promotion agency, and its Dhaka office plays a key role in facilitating Japanese investment into Bangladesh and supporting Bangladeshi exporters seeking access to the Japanese market.

Rabiul Alam — Secretary General

As Managing Director of MKK Logistics, Alam brings private-sector logistics expertise to the chamber. He served as a director on the 2024-26 board and was also secretary general of the Nordic Chamber of Commerce and Industry — demonstrating his broad experience in bilateral chamber management.

Kenji Kimura — Treasurer

As Chief Representative of MUFG Bank's Dhaka office, Kimura brings financial sector expertise. MUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group) is one of Japan's largest banks, and its Dhaka presence signals growing Japanese financial sector interest in Bangladesh.

🌏 Japan-Bangladesh Economic Relations

The JBCCI election comes at a moment of significant expansion in Japan-Bangladesh economic relations:

• 🇯🇵 Japanese FDI in Bangladesh has been growing — particularly in RMG, infrastructure, and energy.
• 🇯🇵 Bangladesh-Japan EPA — the two countries have been exploring an Economic Partnership Agreement.
• 🇯🇵 Big Japanese conglomerates — including Sumitomo, Marubeni, Itochu, and Mitsui — have operations or investments in Bangladesh.
• 🇯🇵 JICA financing — Japan is one of Bangladesh's largest bilateral development partners, though Bangladesh recently paused borrowing from JICA over interest rate concerns.
• 🇯🇵 Japanese Special Economic Zone — at Araihazar, Narayanganj, designed to attract Japanese manufacturers.

💼 Why JBCCI Matters

The Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry plays a critical role in:

• 🤝 Facilitating bilateral trade and investment
• 🤝 Networking between Japanese and Bangladeshi businesses
• 🤝 Policy advocacy on issues affecting Japanese investors in Bangladesh
• 🤝 Information sharing on market opportunities and regulatory changes
• 🤝 Business matching between Japanese and Bangladeshi companies
• 🤝 Cultural exchange supporting deeper bilateral understanding

📊 Bangladesh-Japan Trade Snapshot

• 🇧🇩 Bangladesh exports to Japan: approximately US$1.5-2.0 billion annually — primarily RMG, shrimp, and leather products.
• 🇧🇩 Bangladesh imports from Japan: approximately US$2.5-3.0 billion annually — primarily machinery, automotive parts, electronics, and textiles.
• 🇧🇩 Japanese FDI stock in Bangladesh: estimated at US$500 million to $1 billion.
• 🇧🇩 Japanese companies in Bangladesh: approximately 300+ companies with operations or representative offices.

🏢 Key Japanese Companies In Bangladesh

• 🏭 Sumitomo Corporation — infrastructure and power sector investments.
• 🏭 Marubeni Corporation — power sector and trading.
• 🏭 Itochu Corporation — RMG and textile sourcing.
• 🏭 Mitsui & Co. — infrastructure and trading.
• 🏭 Yusen Logistics — logistics services (now represented by VP1 in JBCCI).
• 🏭 JT International (JTI) — tobacco manufacturing.
• 🏭 MUFG Bank — financial services.
• 🏭 BSRM — steel manufacturing (Japanese joint venture).

📜 Looking Ahead Under The New Leadership

Under Kazuiki Kataoka's presidency, the JBCCI is likely to focus on:

• 📝 Deepening Japan-Bangladesh EPA discussions — leveraging JETRO's policy role.
• 📝 Attracting more Japanese SMEs — to the Araihazar Japanese SEZ and other industrial zones.
• 📝 Supporting Bangladeshi exporters — seeking access to the Japanese market.
• 📝 Addressing regulatory and operational challenges — faced by Japanese companies in Bangladesh.
• 📝 Promoting technology transfer — from Japanese to Bangladeshi companies.
• 📝 Enhancing logistics and supply chain cooperation — given the strong representation of logistics companies in the new board.

The election of a JETRO representative as president is particularly significant — as it strengthens the bridge between Japanese government trade policy and private-sector business interests in Bangladesh. This could accelerate the pace of Japan-Bangladesh economic cooperation in the coming two years.

For Bangladesh, the new JBCCI leadership represents an opportunity to deepen one of its most important bilateral economic relationships — at a time when the country is preparing for LDC graduation and seeking diversified trade and investment partnerships.