Tokyo has signed a deal with Dhaka, paving the way for recruiting skilled workers under different categories from Bangladesh.
Rownaq Jahan, Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE), and Shoko Sasaki, Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency under the Ministry of Justice in Japan, signed the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on behalf of their respective countries in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Rabab Fatima, Bangladesh Ambassador in Japan, Yasuaki Imai, director of the Office of International Affairs under the Policy Planning Division in Japan, Md Jahangir Alam, joint secretary of the MoEWOE, and Kazi Abed Hossain, deputy secretary of the MoEWOE, among others, were present at the signing ceremony.
Bangladesh has been enlisted as the ninth source country for sending skilled workers to Japan, following signing of the MoC on Specified Skilled Workers (SSW), according to a press release, issued by the ministry.
Proficiency tests on Japanese language and necessary skills are the basic requirements to be selected as a SSW to go to Japan.
Japan, as the world's third-largest economy, will need some 345,000 foreign workers by 2025. Following signing of the MoC, Japan will hire manpower from Bangladesh under two categories in 14 sectors.
Under Category-1, the workers, who can pass language test and have required job-related skills, can go to the country for five years. But they will not be allowed to bring their families to Japan.
Category-2 is for the workers, who have more experiences than those of Category-1 workers. They can bring their families and stay in Japan for an unlimited period.
The 14 sectors and industries include caregiver, building cleaning management, machinery parts and tooling, industrial machinery, electric, electronics and information, construction, shipbuilding, automobile maintenance, aviation, accommodation, agriculture, fishery and aquaculture, manufacture of food and beverages, and food service etc.
Rownaq Jahan said the MoC will create opportunities to send skilled workers from Bangladesh to Japan under certain terms and conditions.
She also said the government is producing skilled workers, focusing on Japanese market. They have already started a four-month Japanese language training course in 26 technical training centres across the country.
Besides, many private organisations are taking initiatives to teach Japanese language courses, she added.
Migration experts also said it is a great opportunity for Bangladesh. So, it should be nurtured carefully.
Talking to the FE, Shariful Islam, Head of the BRAC Migration Programme, said it is a good prospect for Bangladesh to send skilled workers.
If Bangladesh can send 10,000 workers to Japan a year, it will help the country to increase quality migration as well as to boost remittance earnings.
"So the country should tap the opportunity properly, giving a special focus on the market," he added.
Currently, Bangladesh sends technical interns (TIs) to Japan under a MoC, signed between the International Manpower Development Organisation (IM Japan) and the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET).
The arrangement was made about two years back. Only the state-run agencies can send TIs. Seventy TIs have so far gone to Japan under the deal.
The Japan International Training Cooperation Organisation (JITCO) and Bangladesh signed another MoC in 2018 to recruit TIs through private agencies. Some 11 recruiters have been selected to send interns. The procedure to send TIs will formally start soon, officials said.
