Guwahati, Oct. 28 -- Japan and Bangladesh have agreed to strengthen labour cooperation through a framework aimed at facilitating the recruitment of skilled Bangladeshi workers to address workforce shortages in Japan.

The Memorandum of Cooperation on Employment Skills Development was exchanged during a bilateral summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Tokyo on October 27, 2026.

The agreement will initially remain in force for five years, with an automatic extension for another five years. Official recruitment under the framework is scheduled to begin on April 1, 2027, coinciding with Japan's transition to a revised system for employing foreign workers.

Bangladesh aims to sen...