MM Rahmatullah: Bangladesh and Japan have expressed interest in further strengthening their longstanding development partnership, with particular emphasis on water supply, waste management and building a more sustainable society.Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan made the remarks when Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi paid a courtesy call on him at his ministry office at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday.During the meeting, the minister highlighted the progress of various development projects being implemented under his ministry with Japanese participation and cooperation.He also expressed gratitude to the government and people of Japan for their continued support to Bangladesh's development since independence.Dr Khan described Japan as a longstanding and important development partner of Bangladesh, saying Japanese assistance has contributed significantly to the country's socio-economic development over the decades.He expressed hope that bilateral relations and development cooperation would advance further through greater mutual engagement.The meeting also focused on a range of development-related issues, including water supply, waste management and initiatives aimed at creating sustainable communities.The two sides exchanged views on potential areas of future cooperation in these sectors and discussed matters of mutual interest, including strengthening democratic institutions.The discussions reflected the broad scope of Bangladesh-Japan cooperation, which has evolved over the years from development assistance to collaboration in infrastructure, urban services and other areas of national development. Local Government Division Secretary M Shahidul Hasan, First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka KOMINE Ken, Second Secretary Hana Soma, Director General of the Monitoring, Inspection and Evaluation Wing Shibir Bichitra Barua and senior officials of the ministry were present at the meeting.