Bangladesh and Japan on Thursday discussed expanding cooperation in the areas of skilled migration, healthcare and pharmaceuticals as part of their growing bilateral partnership.

Dr. Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan, senior secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, met with Akiyama Shinichi, Senior Assistant Minister for International Affairs of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in Tokyo.

Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Japan Md Daud Ali was also present.

Dr. Bhuiyan highlighted the close bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Japan, built on shared values of democracy, development, human rights, and the rule of law.

He also emphasised Bangladesh’s five decades of experience as a major manpower-sending country and its growing contribution to Japan’s construction, caregiving, manufacturing, and IT sectors.

Referring to recent initiatives, he mentioned the signing of two MoUs during the Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus’s visit to Japan in May 2025, targeting the recruitment of 100,000 Bangladeshi workers over the next five years.

He also discussed the establishment of a dedicated Japan Cell to coordinate Japanese language and skills training across government and private institutions.

Dr. Bhuiyan expressed gratitude to Japan for initiating Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) field tests in Bangladesh and urged consideration for additional sectors including Manufacture of Food and Beverage, Food Service Industry, Industrial Product Manufacturing, Automobile Repair and Maintenance, Aviation Industry, and Shipbuilding and Ship Machinery Industry.

He further proposed deeper collaboration in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors and urged Japan to invest or collaborate in medical technology and to import high-quality Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals product.

Senior Assistant Minister Akiyama welcomed Bangladesh’s initiatives, acknowledging Japan’s growing need for foreign workers amid an aging population.

He assured continued cooperation and encouraged coordination through Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo.

Later in the afternoon, senior secretary attended a seminar on Human Resources organised by IM Japan, a major manpower receiving organization in Japan. Around 200 Japanese companies attended the seminar.