Published : 21 Sep 2026, 03:49 PM
Updated : 21 Sep 2026, 03:49 PM
A Japanese delegation has visited Daffodil Group and Daffodil International University (DIU) to explore opportunities for expanding employment prospects in Japan for Bangladeshi youth.
The visit took place on Sunday at Daffodil Smart City, with talks focused on “employment opportunities in Japan, required skills, preparation, language proficiency and cultural understanding”, the university said in a press release.
The Japanese job market is looking for skilled workers, engineers, and technology professionals, it said.
A seminar titled “Employment Opportunities in Japan: Pathways and Essential Guidance for Bangladeshi Graduates” was also held on the occasion. Afterwards, the Japanese delegation met with Daffodil Group and DIU senior management.
The delegation included Kenichi Shishido, board member of the Japan Platform for Migrant Workers towards Responsible and Inclusive Society (JP-MIRAI) and Shinichi Okubo, senior programme officer of JP-MIRAI.
The seminar was attended by Professor Mohammad Masum Iqbal, pro-vice chancellor of Daffodil International University, and Dr Mohammad Nuruzzaman, group CEO of Daffodil Group, along with university officials, faculty members, and students. Prof Iqbal delivered the opening remarks. The main session was conducted by Shishido, who highlighted employment opportunities in Japan, different pathways for building a career, workplace expectations, necessary preparation, and the importance of responsible and inclusive approaches to international employment.
In his closing remarks, Dr Nuruzzaman said: “Bangladesh can be an important source of skilled and professional human resources for Japan. Japan needs skilled manpower, while Bangladesh has a large pool of talented young people. Our challenge is to build an effective bridge between the two through Japanese language proficiency, necessary skills, cultural and workplace preparation, responsible recruitment, and direct connections with the needs of genuine employers.”
Daffodil says it has previous experience in developing manpower for the Japanese market.
“Daffodil Global Recruiting Agency (GRA) has been working to create employment opportunities under Japan’s Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) and Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) programmes. Building on this experience, Daffodil is now exploring new pathways for its qualified graduates in engineering, information and communication technology, and other relevant disciplines to pursue professional careers in Japan,” the press release said.
Daffodil says the initiative is aimed at providing a regular and integrated pipeline of workers to meet the demands of Japan’s labour market at different levels. In addition to skilled and technical workers, it will also provide university graduates, including engineers and tech professionals.
“The proposed framework will place emphasis on talent identification, Japanese language training, technical and professional skills development, cultural orientation, workplace preparation, employer engagement, responsible recruitment, and post-placement career support,” Daffodil said.
The initiative would identify talent based on the needs of Japanese employers, while also providing Japanese language and cultural preparation, technical and professional skills development, employer engagement, responsible recruitment, employment in Japan, and subsequent career development in a structured pathway.
Daffodil hopes the initiative will not only create opportunities for overseas employment, but allow for a sustainable bridge for skilled workers between Bangladesh and Japan.
After the seminar, the Japanese delegation took part in a high-level meeting with the senior management of Daffodil Group and Daffodil International University. The meeting was attended by the vice chancellor and pro-vice chancellor of Daffodil International University, the group CEO of Daffodil Group, the registrar, and other senior officials.
Discussions focused on deeper cooperation with Japan’s labour market, graduate employment, skilled manpower in engineering and technology sectors, Japanese language education, industry-specific skills, cultural preparation, responsible recruitment, and communication with employers.
A particular focus was on developing a “Japan Graduate Engineer Employment Pathway” to connect qualified and appropriately prepared DIU graduates with Japanese companies.
“Through this initiative, Daffodil has outlined a long-term vision of positioning Bangladesh not only as a source of overseas workers but also as a source of skilled, qualified, and internationally competitive human resources. By leveraging university education, skills development initiatives, the Career Development Center, Japan-focused programmes, and recruitment experience, Daffodil aims to establish an integrated system to prepare Bangladeshi youth for employment opportunities in Japan,” the press release said.
