PM Seeks Marubeni Investment in AI Data Centre, KAFCO

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday sought expanded investment from Japan’s Marubeni Corporation in Bangladesh’s information technology, fertiliser and energy sectors, including a proposed second plant of Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company Limited (KAFCO) and an artificial intelligence-based data centre.

He made the request when a high-level Marubeni delegation, led by the company’s President and CEO Masayuki Omoto, met him at his office in the Secretariat, according to Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister said the government was working to create a favourable investment climate to harness Bangladesh’s economic potential and generate employment opportunities.

He welcomed Marubeni’s investments in the country’s IT, fertiliser and energy sectors and called for expanding the company’s long-standing business ties with Bangladesh, particularly in jute products, into new areas of cooperation.

The meeting discussed the growing potential of Bangladesh’s IT sector and plans to develop skilled human resources in information technology and cybersecurity.

The government’s plans to strengthen the IT and cybersecurity skills of engineering graduates also came up for discussion.

Participants noted that Bangladesh could emerge as an international service hub by leveraging its skilled workforce, technological capabilities and competitive services.

Plans to establish an AI-based data centre in Bangladesh within the next 12 months were also discussed, along with Marubeni’s interest in and potential investment in the sector.

The two sides also explored opportunities to expand the use of modern technology and artificial intelligence in agriculture, given the importance of agriculture to Bangladesh’s economy. Possible investment and technological cooperation by Marubeni were discussed.

Marubeni’s existing investment in Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company Limited (KAFCO) and the possibility of establishing a second KAFCO plant in Bangladesh were also discussed. The Japanese company expressed interest in the proposal.

The meeting also highlighted expectations that the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Bangladesh and Japan, once effective, would further strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Technology Rehan Asif Asad, and the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Shakirul Islam Khan, among others, attended the meeting.

Marubeni was represented by Susumu Wakamori, its CEO for Southwest Asia, and Manabu Sugawara, the company’s country head in Bangladesh.