State minister for Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque held talks with Japan Foundation Managing Director Koike Wakao and colleague Yuko Harii today to discuss opening permanent office operations in Bangladesh. Meeting centered on strengthening worker exchange schemes and deepening bilateral collaboration between nations.

Minister Nurul Haque underscored Bangladesh-Japan bonds remain historically robust. “JICA ranks among our most significant development partners”, he noted, reaffirming government commitment to a recently signed agreement on sending skilled workers to Japan. He assured Japan Foundation that his ministry would provide full support should office establishment proceed.

Ministry Secretary Mo. Mokhtar Ahmed stressed that language alone doesn’t guarantee worker success in Japan. “Understanding Japanese culture and workplace conduct matters equally”, he explained, backing direct training delivered by Japanese instructors to accelerate workers' adaptation to Japanese employment environments.

Dhaka University Professor Abdullah Al Mamun recommended clearly defining support areas and engaging Japanese embassy swiftly through Foreign Ministry channels, emphasizing need for comprehensive government planning beforehand.

Koike Wakao appreciated Bangladesh’s constructive approach, committing to convey government’s interest to senior leadership in Tokyo. Joint Secretary Shahidul Islam Chowdhury and Deputy Secretary Mo. Hedayetul Islam Mandol also attended.