Japan denies talks on recruiting 100,000 Bangladeshi workers annually

Japan has refuted reports that it agreed to recruit 100,000 Bangladeshi workers annually, clarifying that no such agreement or commitment was made during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent visit to Tokyo.

Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the clarification on Thursday, following widespread reports by several Bangladeshi television channels that the two countries had reached an agreement to send 100,000 skilled workers from Bangladesh to Japan every year.

The reports quickly spread across social media, triggering widespread discussion about a major expansion of employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers in Japan.

However, Japan’s MOFA Press Secretary Toshihiro Kitamura rejected the claims in a public statement.

“While recent social media posts have falsely suggested that the Government of Japan agreed to accept 100,000 workers from Bangladesh, no such fact exists,” Kitamura said.

Diplomatic sources said Bangladesh had sought to expand employment opportunities for its workers under Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) and training programmes. 

However, Tokyo made no blanket commitment regarding the number of Bangladeshi workers it would recruit.

Japan’s employment system requires foreign workers to meet language proficiency and technical certification requirements, with recruitment largely determined by employer demand rather than country-based job allocations.

During Tarique’s four-day official visit to Japan, the two countries signed six bilateral cooperation instruments and secured two major yen loan commitments covering local governance, industrial investment and maritime safety.

The joint communique issued following the visit also recognised the mutual interest in expanding workforce mobility between the two countries.

However, it contained no commitment by Japan to recruit 100,000 Bangladeshi workers annually, contrary to the claims circulated in the media and on social platforms.