Japan labour export plan to be submitted to PM within 7 working days

The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment has decided to submit a comprehensive action plan to the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman within the next seven working days to boost the export of skilled manpower to Japan.

The decision was taken at a preparatory meeting held at the ministry's conference room today (22 February), chaired by Senior Secretary Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan. Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury and State Minister Md Nurul Haque were present at the meeting.

The meeting followed up on discussions held yesterday (21 February) under the chairmanship of the prime minister, where he expressed special interest in expanding manpower export from Bangladesh to Japan, read a press release of the ministry.

Officials said the ruling party's election manifesto includes 20 programmes related to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment. As the manifesto has gained public mandate, it has effectively become a national programme, prompting the ministry to take preparatory steps for its implementation.

During the meeting, it was highlighted that Japan is expected to require around 11 million young workers by 2040, while Bangladesh currently has approximately 2.3 million surplus youth in its labour force. Discussions focused on transforming unskilled workers into skilled and semi-skilled manpower to meet Japan's demand and access other global labour markets.

To enhance preparation, the ministry has expanded Japanese language and trade-based training from 33 Technical Training Centres (TTCs) to 53 TTCs across the country. However, a shortage of Japanese language instructors remains a key challenge. The meeting discussed ways to recruit more teachers and strengthen language training capacity.

The role of around 200 private training centres and recruiting agencies was also discussed to explore further collaboration in providing language and skills training aligned with Japan's labour market needs.

Participants deliberated on strategies to position Bangladesh ahead of competitor countries in accessing Japan's labour market. Several short-term and medium-term action points were formulated.

It was decided that a detailed work plan, incorporating recommendations from stakeholders, will be finalised and submitted to the Prime Minister within seven working days. Responsibilities have been distributed among officials, and a follow-up meeting has been scheduled in two working days to review progress.

A stakeholder consultation meeting involving training providers, teachers, students, and recruiting agencies will also be held the day after tomorrow to gather opinions for preparing a comprehensive set of recommendations.

The minister and state minister urged all officials to work with efficiency and sincerity to accelerate initiatives related to manpower export to Japan.

Senior officials of the ministry and its affiliated departments and agencies were present at the meeting.