The author of this column has already focused on the issue in one of the earlier segments and tried to locate the reasons for Japan to avoid Dhaka as a destination for possible stopover during the prime minister's South Asia trip. Japanese scholars, media personnel, and others who show active interest in the affairs of Bangladesh do not hesitate to talk about the reason they think to be most important in this particular case.

It is quite significant that many foreign watchers of Bangladesh find it disturbing the way things have been moving in our country recently. To their eyes the situation has deteriorated significantly since the August 2004 bombing. Surprisingly, few subscribe to the official version, that hartals together with the conspirators in the opposition camp through their relentless effort to undermine the administration by involving in negative publicity, are to be blamed for the image of the country taking a nosedive in the eyes of the outside world. They do not hesitate to say what they think, and what they think is the failure of the government to protect its citizens from systematic attacks by certain quarters linked to the extremist ideas that flourished recently as a result of hate teaching preached in the name of religion, to which those in power have turned a blind eye. And many in Japan are convinced too, that this was the main reason for the Japanese prime minister's decision to avoid a place that is increasingly becoming dangerous as it fails even to protect even those who are trying hard to uplift the image of Bangladesh in international community. Many Bangladesh watchers in Japan and elsewhere thus have seen the violent death of Shah AMS Kibria, as the prime example in support of their view.

At the same time, contrary to our jubilation in response to the cold blooded murders by a section of law enforcement agencies, Japanese who are aware of what is happening in Bangladesh, too believe that the practice runs contrary to the idea of democracy and human rights, and it does not fit in to a country where democracy seems to be in practice for more than a decade. Many see the indemnity given to the "crossfire" killers as similar to something that in earlier days was practiced by the so-called death squads in countries that were run by ruthless dictators.

All such equations, they feel, might have an impact on the official decision of the Japanese government in setting the itinerary of the prime minister's visit to South Asia. The announcement of the visit also came in the wake of the Washington meeting of the donors, where it was reported that Japan, along with Germany, Denmark and Great Britain, was among the most vocal critics of the situation in Bangladesh, though Tokyo opposed taking any hard line as was pushed by some countries.

According to the Bangladesh embassy in Japan, the reason why Koizumi is not going to Bangladesh in April has no link at all with the political situation back in Bangladesh. Embassy officials firmly hold the idea that it is a matter related exclusively to the norms of diplomatic practices. The Japanese prime minister is scheduled to visit India and Pakistan in reply to the earlier visits by the leaders of those two countries who were in Tokyo during Koizumi's premiership. As for Bangladesh, the last exchange of visits by the two countries was that of the former Japanese Prime Minister, Yoshiro Mori, who was in Dhaka in August 2000. The expected visit to Japan by Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in May 2002 could not have been materialized, as she had to go for surgical operation during the same period.

There is no doubt that the Bangladesh embassy in Japan tried very hard to get specific dates of the visit much earlier from the day prime minister took office in October 2001. The Japanese side extended an official invitation for a five-day state visit in May the following year, which circumstances didn't allow our head of the government to avail.

As getting a fixed schedule for official visits to Japan by the leaders of developing countries is not an easy task due to the involvement of various ministries and agencies, including the Imperial Household Agency responsible for granting an imperial audience during the visit, it is indeed a time consuming matter to fix a second schedule in case one is missed. Our embassy in Tokyo is now in close contact with the Japanese side and it is expected that Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Japan visit might materialized as early as at the first half of next fiscal year starting from April.

Such norms of diplomatic practices are part of routine works of officials responsible for pursuing the matter. But as for the people in Bangladesh, the emotional side of getting sidetracked by the neighbors no doubt comes as a shock. It is more, because there might not be another opportunity in five or more years to welcome the leader of a country that each and every Bangladeshi considers a true friend. If we take into account that between three visits to the region by the prime ministers of Japan there is a long gap of 17 years, the average would come down to a little over five years.

At the same time, the decision to bypass Bangladesh by the Japanese prime minister during his forthcoming state visit to South Asia can in no way be interpreted as a diplomatic or political debacle for the present administration of Bangladesh in favour of others now out of power. Japan traditionally does not consider any of the political groupings of Bangladesh closer to Tokyo than others. For the policy makers in Tokyo, more important for Bangladesh is a leadership capable of handling successfully the various problems being faced by the country. Whoever proves to be doing the job, Japan is willing to recognize the side as being a true friend.