Bangladesh and Japan on Thursday signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to enhance the skills of Bangladeshi manpower and facilitate their employment in Japan, as the country faces a shortage of workers.

The agreements were signed at a human resources seminar hosted by the Bangladesh Embassy in Japan, held at Hirakwacho Chiyoda City in Tokyo, in the presence of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.

Saleh Ahmed Mujaffor, Director General of the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), a government institution under the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Bangladesh, and Jun Oneda, Chairman of Kaicom Dream Street BD Co. Ltd. (KDS), a Japan-Bangladesh joint venture company, signed the MoUs on behalf of their respective sides.

Under the agreement, with the cooperation of KDS and BMET, a specialised training unit will be established at the Monohardi Technical Training Centre (MTTC) as a model facility for Japan's Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP) and Specified Skilled Workers (SSW) programme. The centre will operate under the name 'Dream Street Business Training Center (DSBTC)'.

KDS will introduce its 'Dream Education' programme—an education model designed to help learners discover their own dreams and work diligently to realise them—at MTTC as the standard training curriculum.

The MoU will remain valid for five years from the date of signing, with the possibility of an extension through mutual consultation.

Besides, a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a strategic framework for the placement of skilled Bangladeshi workers has been signed between the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), the National Business Support Combined Cooperatives (NBCC) of Japan, and the Japan Bangla Bridge Recruiting Agency Ltd. (JBBRA).

The MoU was signed by BMET Director General, Saleh Ahmed Mujaffor; Chairman of the Board of Directors of NBCC, Mikio Kesagayama; and JBBRA Managing Director, Moinul Tahmid, on behalf of their respective organisations.

The purpose of this MoU is to establish a strategic framework for placing skilled Bangladeshi workers in Japan under Japan’s Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP) and Specified Skilled Workers Programme (SSW).

In cooperation with NBCC, JBBRA, and BMET, a technical centre will be developed as a model training centre for Japan's TITP and SSW programmes, to be operated under the name Bhalojob Training Centre (BJTC). The training centre, developed by JBBRA, will introduce a model training programme to other TTCs in phases.

The MoU aims to foster mutual cooperation in training, certification and the development of technical skills, thereby facilitating the mobility and employment of Bangladeshi nationals in Japan.

According to the MoU, Japan plans to accept 100,000 Bangladeshi workers over the next five years.

The agreement is valid for five years and may be renewed through mutual consultation.

Earlier at the programme, Japanese authorities and businesses announced plans to recruit at least 100,000 workers from Bangladesh in the next five years to meet the country's growing workers' shortage.

It also ensures compliance with Japanese labour market standards for workers trained under the terms of this agreement.