The government has intensified preparations to send huge numbers of skilled manpower to Japan under the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) category, as Japan faces an ongoing shortage of qualified manpower.
The Japanese government has set a target to recruit 8.20 lakh foreign workers across 16 sectors under the SSW category by March 2029.
Experts and officials believe that if Bangladesh prepares effectively, it can supply up to 40 percent of this demand that is more than 300,000 workers.
Previously, Bangladesh had the capacity to send workers in only six of these categories. Now, the government is working to develop skilled manpower for all 16 categories.
Professor Dr. Md. Jahangir Alam, Chairman of the Japanese Studies Department at Dhaka University described Japan as an attractive destination for Bangladeshi workers.
He said with proper focus on skill development, Bangladesh can meet a substantial portion of Japan’s labour demand, boosting foreign currency earnings.
Citing a report recently published in The Japan Times, the labour welfare wing of the Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo stated that Japan aims to recruit around 1.2 million (12 lakh) foreign workers under both the Employment Skill Development (ESD) and SSW categories by March 2029.
Long-term projections suggest that Japan may require up to 11 million (1.1 crore) foreign workers by 2040.
