Japan to Begin Accepting Bangladeshi Workers Under New Deal From April 1

Japan is set to begin accepting Bangladeshi workers from 1 April next year under a new agreement with the BNP-led government aimed at improving their skills and expanding employment opportunities.

The agreement, titled the “Memorandum of Cooperation on Employment Skills Development (ESDP-MOC),” will remain in force for five years and will be automatically extended for another five years. Md Mokhtar Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, signed the agreement on behalf of the Bangladesh government on Saturday, according to a ministry Facebook post on Monday.

The agreement will be formally exchanged during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s three-day visit to Japan, scheduled to begin on 26 October, the ministry said.

In the post, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said the agreement would facilitate the migration of Bangladeshi jobseekers to Japan, help them develop professional and technical skills, and create opportunities for employment in higher-skilled sectors.

The arrangement will also give Bangladeshi migrant workers an opportunity to obtain long-term residency permits in Japan.

Under the agreement, Bangladeshi workers will enjoy employment status equal to that of their Japanese counterparts. Male and female workers will also be entitled to equal benefits, while Japanese employers will be prohibited from dismissing Bangladeshi women solely because they are pregnant or have recently given birth.

The agreement is expected to strengthen bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Japan while contributing to the development of Bangladesh’s human capital, the ministry said.