A Japanese parliamentary delegation engaged in labour issues on Wednesday praised improved working conditions in Bangladesh factories but insisted on more work for further progress.
“We must admit that the labour environment has improved, but there is still room for further progress,” said Michihiro Ishibashi, secretary general of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and member of the House of Councillors.
Ishibashi led the delegation members of the Japanese Parliamentarians’ League on the International Labour Organization (ILO) as they paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday at the State Guest House Jamuna.
During the meeting, Ishibashi shared his observations from the delegates’ visits to factories both inside and outside EPZs, said Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder.
Ishibashi added that during his visit to Japanese companies in Bangladesh, he felt a positive energy.
“We hope Japanese companies will invest more in infrastructure and other sectors,” he said.
Prof Yunus hailed Japan as a trusted friend of Bangladesh and thanked the country for its cooperation over the years.
He noted that the relationship between the two countries is multi-dimensional.
He highlighted that labour sector reform is one of the key priorities of Bangladesh’s interim government and noted that his Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi had been specifically tasked with the implementation of all the ILO conventions and ensuring their timely adoption.
“He is pushing everyone to get their job done,” said the chief adviser.
“We made it very clear that we should be apologetic about the labour issue and must work on it,” Professor Yunus added.
He also sought Japanese support for deep-sea fishing projects in Matarbari and proposed initiatives to increase the number of Bangladeshi technical interns and specified skilled workers (SSW) in Japanese companies.
“We plan to send 100,000 young people to Japan. They will receive language training, skill development, etiquette lessons, and even some history education. This is the beginning. In the future, we will send many more. We believe this is a wonderful opportunity for our young people to explore and showcase their creativity,” Professor Yunus said.