Staff Correspondent

Japan is poised to become one of the most important markets for Bangladesh’s workforce in the near future, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said on Thursday.

“A businessman said he would hire 3,000 skill labourers from Bangladesh, but 3,000 people would have to be taught the Japanese language very quickly to do that,” he said while talking to reporters after a seminar on human resources.

Press Secretary Alam said Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus will take more coordinated initiatives in this regard after returning home. 

“Japan will be one of the most important manpower markets for Bangladesh in the coming years,” he said.

The Press Secretary said Japan could soon open its doors to Bangladeshi manpower like a ‘floodgate’, provided the workers are properly trained.

He said the interim government has already initiated efforts to develop a skilled workforce with proficiency in the Japanese language.

Stating that approximately 3,000 Bangladeshi youths have already arrived in Japan for language training this year, the press secretary expressed the hope that the number would rise to about 10,000 by the end of the year.

He said these people would not only study the Japanese language but would also secure employment opportunities in Japan.

Alam also said Japan is increasingly looking to Bangladesh as a source for skilled human resources.

The Bangladesh Embassy to Japan arranged the human resources seminar in Tokyo where Chief Adviser Prof Yunus spoke.

The Press Secretary explained that the purpose of the seminar was to inform Japanese companies that Bangladesh has a sufficient pool of human resources and is ready to send skilled workers to Japan.

He also said a significant number of representatives from Japanese companies attended the seminar with much enthusiasm.

Earlier at the programme, Japanese authorities and businesses announced plans to recruit at least 100,000 workers from Bangladesh in the next five years to meet the country's growing workers' shortage.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh and Japan signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to enhance the skills of Bangladeshi manpower and facilitate their employment in Japan, as the country faces a shortage of workers. 

The agreements were signed at a human resources seminar hosted by the Bangladesh Embassy in Japan, held at Hirakwacho Chiyoda City in Tokyo, in the presence of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.