Bangladesh and Japan signed an employment skills pact on October 17 that renews automatically, while Dhaka says it plans to send 100,000 workers annually.
Tamrah News Desk | October 28, 2026
The Japan Bangladesh labour agreement covers ten years once its automatic renewal is counted, according to a press release from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, as reported by Prothom Alo. The two governments signed the Memorandum of Cooperation on Employment Skills Development on October 17, and Japan will begin recruiting Bangladeshi workers under it from April 1, 2027.
The pact drew fresh attention when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held a summit in Tokyo on October 27. Bangladesh says it plans to send 100,000 workers to Japan each year. No source reviewed by Tamrah News shows that Japan has accepted that number as a quota.
What the Japan Bangladesh Labor Agreement Says
The agreement has an initial term of five years and extends automatically for another five, Prothom Alo reported. The ministry secretary signed for Bangladesh. Prothom Alo said representatives of Japan’s Justice, Foreign Affairs and Health, Labour and Welfare ministries, plus the National Police Agency, signed for Tokyo. Views Bangladesh reported that the talks lasted nearly a year.
Under the terms, Bangladeshi workers receive the same legal protection as Japanese workers, according to the Bangladeshi ministry. Ittefaq reported that female workers cannot be dismissed or treated unfairly because of pregnancy or childbirth. Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury said the deal should bring skills training, higher wages and a path to long term residence. Prothom Alo added that copies of the agreement are due to be formally exchanged during Rahman’s visit.
Will Japan Take 100,000 Bangladeshi Workers Every Year?
Nothing published so far says so. The Business Standard, citing an internal report from Bangladesh’s Economic Relations Division, reported that Dhaka plans to send 100,000 skilled workers and students to Japan annually. Daily Waadaa described that figure in an analysis as a Bangladeshi target and not an agreed Japanese quota. The joint statement posted by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs contains no recruitment number.
An earlier commitment is more specific. The Dhaka Tribune reported that in May 2025 the two countries agreed to recruit at least 100,000 Bangladeshi workers over five years. That equals an average of at least 20,000 a year. The same outlet said a 2019 cooperation memorandum already covers 14 sectors under Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker programme.
Tarique Rahman Japan Visit: Summit Outcomes in Tokyo
Japan’s joint statement welcomed a projection of private investment of up to one trillion yen in Bangladesh over five years, with 200,000 jobs expected. Kyodo News, as carried by Daily Waadaa, quoted Takaichi saying,
“Japan will strongly support Bangladesh’s autonomy and resilience.”
The statement also welcomed a 50 billion yen emergency loan for energy supply and new cooperation documents on trade, agriculture and fisheries.
The Daily Star reported that Rahman proposed a Bangladesh Japan Tech Park. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir told reporters that Japanese language training and skilled workforce development were already at the implementation stage, Daily Waadaa reported.
Bangladeshi Workers in Japan Today
The Business Standard reported that about 9,500 Bangladeshis went to Japan this year to work in engineering, information technology and related fields. Another 3,500 went under technical training programmes and 1,600 as specified skilled workers. Around 25,000 received opportunities to study there.
Nutshell Today reported that the agreement is timed to Japan’s replacement of the Technical Intern Training Program in April 2027. That scheme drew years of complaints about low pay and exploitation. The Financial Express, citing Bangladesh’s embassy in Tokyo and The Japan Times, reported that Japan aims to recruit about 1.2 million foreign workers by March 2029. Daily Waadaa added that Japan’s foreign resident population passed 4.1 million at the end of 2025, according to the Immigration Services Agency, and that parts of the Japanese public are uneasy about foreign labour.
What Happens Next
Recruitment is due to start on April 1, 2027. The Tarique Rahman Japan visit runs until October 29 and includes meetings with business leaders. The Business Standard reported that Bangladesh also plans to propose a jointly financed Human Resource Development Special Zone for language training and certification. Rahman has invited Takaichi to visit Bangladesh.
Conclusion
The Japan Bangladesh labor agreement sets a ten year framework for Bangladeshi workers in Japan, with recruitment beginning in April 2027. Readers following Japan jobs for Bangladeshis, Bangladesh manpower export to Japan, the Specified Skilled Worker programme, the ESDP MOC and the Tarique Rahman Japan visit should note that the 100,000 workers a year figure remains a Bangladeshi target. For related reporting, see Tamrah News coverage of Japan and Tamrah News coverage of Asia.
