Japan to hire more skilled workers from Bangladesh: Expat minister 

Japanese companies have expressed their interest in recruiting skilled professionals, technical experts, and construction workers from Bangladesh.

The announcement came following a meeting between a delegation of Japanese companies and Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury, the state minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, at his office on Sunday (9 June).

The state minister briefed reporters after the meeting, saying that Japanese companies had shared their specific needs, requirements, and demands for skilled workers from Bangladesh.

He further mentioned that the Bangladeshi side had offered a dedicated technical training centre to provide necessary training to interested workers and ensure the selection of competent individuals.

Although the exact number of workers required was not disclosed by either party, the Japanese delegation, led by Masafumi Yurigumi from Yurigumi Maritime Company Limited, emphasised their need for a substantial workforce. They indicated readiness to commence hiring within two months if suitable candidates are available.

Last year alone, Japan recruited over 900 workers from Bangladesh, according to data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training.

Japan's demand for foreign workers is driven by a declining population and labour shortages, which have created new job opportunities for Bangladeshi workers.

Recognising this potential, stakeholders have stressed the importance of preparing skilled workers to meet the demands of the Japanese labour market, potentially leading to increased foreign currency earnings for Bangladesh.

In an effort to address its demographic crisis, the Japanese cabinet has decided to expand its "specific skilled worker" visa program.

This expansion, reported by Asia News last April, will include four additional sectors and allow approximately 820,000 foreigners to work in Japan until the 2028 fiscal year.

Addressing Malaysian labour market issue

Regarding the Malaysian labour market situation, the state minister said that the investigation committee is actively working on it.

"Once the investigation concludes, detailed information will be provided. We're hopeful for suggestions on the suitable punishment for the guilty. Also, we'll take steps to help those impacted by the incident," he added.

On 5 June, a six-member committee was formed to probe the recruiting agencies' failure to send workers to Malaysia by the 31 May deadline. Around 17,000 Bangladeshi workers could not fly because the agencies did not provide air tickets on time.

Italian-bound workers' protest

In another development, a group of Italy-bound workers, who had been awaiting passports and visas for an extended period, attempted to stage a hunger strike in front of VFS Global in NAFI Tower in the capital's Gulshan on Sunday.

However, they were unable to gather due to the presence of additional police. Instead, they gathered at Gulshan Lake Park on Sunday morning.

Despite their intentions to march to NAFI Tower, they were stopped by a team from Gulshan police station, who informed them that they could not assemble in front of the tower.

Following this, a four-member delegation, led by Abdul Kaiyum, representing the Italian-bound workers, arrived at Gulshan police station. Abdul Kaiyum informed reporters after the meeting that the police had assured them of taking action on the matter.

Meanwhile, Italian Ambassador Antonio Alessandro has asked all work visa seekers to be patient and understanding of the embassy's challenges. Currently, around 20,000 Bangladeshi passports are awaiting verification at the embassy in Dhaka.

He emphasised the importance of patience and urged individuals to rely only on official agents while describing the significant backlog in the visa issuance process.