Bangladesh can help meet Japan's workforce needs: Moyeen Khan

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan said on Saturday that Bangladesh could become an important partner in meeting Japan's demand for young workers.

He was speaking as chief guest at the "Japan-Bangladesh Partnership Seminar 2026" at the Diploma Engineers Institution auditorium in the capital's Kakrail.

"Japan has a large elderly population, while Bangladesh has a relatively large young and working-age population. The demographic differences can be utilised to create employment opportunities for Bangladeshi youths in various sectors in Japan," the minister said.

Highlighting the longstanding friendship between the two countries, he said there was scope to elevate bilateral cooperation, which was vital for both generating jobs for Bangladeshi youths and addressing Japan's workforce needs.

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He said Bangladeshi youths working in Japan would enjoy better living standards while contributing significantly to the country's services sector. The minister also stressed the need for Japanese language training, saying specialised institutions could be set up if required.

Japanese representatives said Japan had a growing elderly population and workforce shortages in construction, agriculture, driving and nursing. They said skilled Bangladeshi workers could help fill these gaps if they developed Japanese language and professional skills.