Prominent Japanese entrepreneur and politician Miki Watanabe has announced plans to establish a driving school in Bangladesh to recruit thousands of skilled drivers for employment opportunities in Japan.

Watanabe, founder of the Watami Group, made the announcement during a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Saturday evening.

We are now looking for a 2,000-square-metre area to set up a driving school,” Watanabe told the Chief Adviser, adding that there is a high demand for qualified drivers in Japan and Bangladesh could become a major source of such manpower.

Responding instantly, Professor Yunus directed officials to identify suitable land for the proposed school, preferably on the outskirts of Dhaka.

The meeting followed up on Professor Yunus’s official visit to Japan in May, during which Japanese entrepreneurs signed an agreement with Bangladeshi authorities to recruit 100,000 workers from Bangladesh over the next five years.

Watanabe, a long-time admirer of Professor Yunus’s work, informed the meeting that he had already established a language training academy in Monohordi under Munshiganj district to train and recruit at least 3,000 Bangladeshi workers.

Fifty-two workers have already gone to Japan to work in the construction and agriculture sectors,” he said, adding that the academy currently trains 40 students per session and plans to expand nationwide.

The Chief Adviser emphasized the need for including Japanese etiquette, decorum, and cultural values in the training curriculum.

Teaching etiquette and culture should be an integral part of the training,” Professor Yunus said. “It will help Bangladeshis understand Japan better and prepare them before they arrive in the country.”

He also encouraged the Watami founder to expand training in caregiving, nursing, construction, and farming—sectors where skilled workers can earn higher wages in Japan.

We would like to do these as well,” Watanabe responded.

He also praised the newly established Japan Cell at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, which facilitates collaboration between Japanese investors and Bangladeshi institutions.

Expressing interest in setting up another training centre in or near Dhaka, Watanabe said it would help Japanese companies visit more conveniently than traveling to Monohordi.

The Chief Adviser then instructed officials to locate a ready facility—such as an unused IT park—that could be quickly converted into a Japanese language and vocational training centre.

We will work together,” Professor Yunus said. “We’ll find land for the driving school and a ready facility for the new training centre.”

Shazeeb Khairul Islam, Personal Secretary to the Chief Adviser, said visits will soon be arranged for Japanese investors to explore potential IT park sites around Dhaka.

Professor Yunus also urged increasing the number of Japanese Language Proficiency Tests (JLPT) in Bangladesh, noting that the current twice-yearly schedule is inadequate to meet growing demand.

During the meeting, Watanabe fondly recalled establishing a school in Narayanganj more than a decade ago inspired by Professor Yunus’s vision for a poverty-free world.

The school now has 1,500 students. It’s a wonderful institution—the students are amazing and doing very well,” he said.

SDG Coordinator and Senior Secretary Lamiya Morshed was also present at the meeting.