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Dhaka: The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment is set to submit a comprehensive action plan to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman within the next seven working days, aiming to significantly expand the export of skilled manpower to Japan.
The decision was taken at a preparatory meeting held on Sunday, February 22, at the ministry’s conference room, chaired by Senior Secretary Dr. Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan. Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury and State Minister Md. Nurul Haque attended the meeting.
According to a ministry press release, the meeting followed earlier discussions held on February 21 under the prime minister's chairmanship, where he expressed strong interest in expanding Bangladesh’s manpower export to Japan.
Officials noted that the ruling party’s election manifesto includes 20 programs related to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment. With the manifesto now backed by a public mandate, the ministry has begun concrete preparations to implement the pledged initiatives.
During the meeting, participants highlighted projections that Japan may require nearly 11 million young workers by 2040. In contrast, Bangladesh currently has an estimated 2.3 million surplus youth in its labor force. The discussion therefore centered on upgrading unskilled workers into skilled and semi-skilled professionals to meet Japan’s labor market demand and tap into broader global opportunities.
To strengthen readiness, the ministry has expanded Japanese language and trade-based training programs from 33 to 53 Technical Training Centers (TTCs) nationwide. However, a shortage of qualified Japanese language instructors remains a major challenge. The meeting reviewed measures to recruit additional teachers and enhance language training capacity.
The potential contribution of around 200 private training institutes and recruiting agencies was also discussed, with a focus on building partnerships to deliver language and skills training aligned with Japan’s workforce requirements.
Participants explored strategies to position Bangladesh competitively against other labor-sending countries in accessing Japan’s job market. Several short- and medium-term action points were outlined.
It was decided that a detailed work plan, incorporating recommendations from relevant stakeholders, will be finalized and submitted to the Prime Minister within seven working days. Specific responsibilities have been assigned to officials, and a progress review meeting has been scheduled in two working days.
In addition, a stakeholder consultation meeting involving training providers, instructors, students, and recruiting agencies will be held shortly to gather further input for the final roadmap.
The minister and state minister called on all officials to carry out their responsibilities with dedication and efficiency to accelerate efforts to boost manpower export to Japan.
Senior officials from the ministry and its affiliated departments and agencies were also present at the meeting.
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