Dhaka gets positive response from Japanese investors during CA’s Tokyo tour: Alam

DHAKA, June 1, 2025 (BSS) – Bangladesh has received positive response from Japanese investors during the Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus’s Japan visit, said Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam here today.

“We hope that more Japanese investors will come to Bangladesh with investment proposals following Chief Adviser’s Japan visit,” he told a press briefing at Foreign Service Academy here this afternoon.

About the outcomes of the visit, Alam said Bangladesh’s relations with Japan have reached a new height through the Chief Adviser’s visit and the bilateral meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

He said Japan wants to hire one lakh people from Bangladesh in the next five years and this is why the Chief Adviser has already formed a taskforce to this end.

The press secretary said about 3,000 students went to Japan in first semester this year and it is expected that 10,000 students will be sent to Japan this year.

Noting that it is perfect time for Bangladesh to send its manpower to Japan, he said Japan will be one of the largest manpower exporting destinations for Bangladesh.

About the Japan’s pledge to support Bangladesh, Alam said Japan promised to provide US$ 1.063 billion, including US$ 418 million budget support, to Bangladesh.

Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad were also present at the press briefing.

During his Tokyo tour, on Friday, Prof Yunus held a bilateral meeting with Japanese Premier Shigeru Ishiba.

During the meeting, the two leaders pledged to conclude an Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and Bangladesh in the coming months, with the aim of deepening economic and trade ties between the two friendly nations.

The Japanese premier also announced a commitment of US$ 1.063 billion to Bangladesh for budget support and railway development sector.

Later, three documents on exchange of notes were signed in the day, respectively on the Development Policy Loan for Economic Reform and Strengthening Climate Change Resilience (418 million USD), the Loan for the Joydebpur-Ishwardi dual-gauge double-lane railway project (641 million USD) and the grant for the human development scholarship (4.2 million USD).

The Chief Adviser also addressed the ‘Bangladesh Business Seminar’ on the same day, where the two countries signed six MoUs on economic, investment, and other areas of cooperation.

Earlier, on Thursday, Bangladesh and Japan 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 presence of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.

Earlier, at the programme, Japanese authorities and businesses announced plans to recruit at least 100,000 workers from Bangladesh over the next five years to address the country’s growing labour shortage.

On the same day, the Chief Adviser delivered a keynote speech at the 30th Nikkei Forum: Future of Asia.

On the sidelines of the Nikkei Forum, Prof Yunus held a meeting with former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and urged him to support Bangladesh in its bid to become a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Meanwhile, Prof Yunus received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Soka University on Friday in recognition of his contributions to social innovation and global development.

The Chief Adviser returned home last night, wrapping up his four-day packed official tour to Japan.