PM Meets Bangladeshi Community in Tokyo: Japanese Lessons from Primary School, 150-Bed Upazila Hospitals Planned

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called on all citizens at home and abroad to work together from their respective positions to ensure the country's overall development and people's welfare. He made the call as chief guest at an exchange meeting with members of the Bangladeshi community in Japan at the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo on Wednesday evening (28 October).

The prime minister said the first plan is to do good for the country, and that Bangladesh must be built into a developed nation through collective effort, the benefits of which all Bangladeshis at home and abroad will enjoy.

Answering questions from expatriates at the meeting, he set out long-term plans covering education, healthcare and skilled manpower, including increasing Bangladeshi participation in Japan's labour market. His wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, was present with him.

As part of making the education system stronger and more modern, the prime minister announced a plan to introduce foreign language teaching — including Japanese, French and German — in schools from the primary level starting next year. He expressed hope this would multiply students' employment and higher education opportunities.

He also said special emphasis would be placed on sports, arts and cultural practice alongside textbooks, as well as on technical and vocational education.

Describing health sector development as one of the government's top priorities, the prime minister said upazila hospitals' current 50 beds would be raised to 150 over the next five years.

In addition, to ensure healthcare at the grassroots — especially for rural people, women and children — there is a plan to introduce diabetes and dialysis facilities at upazila level and to recruit 100,000 new health workers, 80 percent of them women, to build health awareness door to door. He hoped this would significantly reduce the excess patient pressure on big-city hospitals.

The prime minister stressed sending workers to Japan with proper training, Japanese language skills and an understanding of the country's culture, in order to make Bangladesh's position in the Japanese labour market stronger and more lasting.