Bangladesh and Japan have held a bilateral meeting to strengthen cooperation in skilled manpower development and the healthcare sector.
On Thursday in Tokyo, Dr. Neamath Ullah Bhuiyan, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, met with Akiyama Shinichi, Senior Assistant Minister for International Affairs at Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
During the meeting, Dr. Bhuiyan highlighted Bangladesh’s growing contribution to Japan’s labour market through the supply of skilled workers.
He said that, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s recent visit to Japan, plans have been made to send 100,000 Bangladeshi workers to Japan over the next five years.
He added that a “Japan Cell” is being established at his ministry to better coordinate Japanese language and skills training programmes.
Dr. Bhuiyan also expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for introducing the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) field test in Bangladesh. He requested the expansion of testing opportunities to include food and beverage production, food service, industrial goods manufacturing, automobile maintenance, aviation services, and shipbuilding sectors.
The senior secretary further proposed greater cooperation in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, urging Japan to invest in medical technology, share hospital management expertise, and import high-quality medicines from Bangladesh.
In response, Akiyama Shinichi welcomed Bangladesh’s initiatives, noting that Japan’s aging population is creating a rapidly increasing demand for skilled foreign workers. He assured that Japan would enhance cooperation with Bangladesh in the fields of health and human resources.
Later, Dr. Bhuiyan attended a human resource seminar organized by IM Japan, where representatives from around 200 Japanese companies were present.
