Desk Report:
A delegation from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) paid a courtesy call on Minister of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Professor Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain, MP. The meeting was held at the Minister’s office at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday (19 August 2026). JICA was represented by Takahashi Junko, Chief Representative of JICA’s Bangladesh Office. Secretary of Women and Children Affairs, Yasmin Parveen, NDC, was present during the meeting.
During the meeting, various issues of bilateral interest including providing humanitarian assistance to Rohingya citizens displaced from Myanmar, women’s education, achieving gender equality, preventing gender-based violence, women’s economic empowerment, women’s participation in decision-making, adolescent health care, establishing specialized schools for children with special needs, and strengthening DNA lab activities were discussed.
At the beginning, the Minister referred to Japan and JICA as proven friends of Bangladesh. He thanked JICA for being a partner in various developments in Bangladesh for 50 years and expressed hope that all types of development and technical cooperation would increase further in the future.
The Minister mentioned in the meeting that the current government is working to build an inclusive and humane Bangladesh by involving people from all walks of life, including women and children, as part of which a plan has been taken to expand training centers at the upazila level to improve the quality of life and skills of grassroots women. When technical assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was expected for this purpose, the JICA delegation also expressed a positive attitude.
Regarding the social safety net program, the minister said that the family card is a signature project of the government for the economic empowerment of women. The family card is not an expense of the government, it is essentially an effective and sustainable social investment. The minister mentioned that women can use the money received from the family card to buy nutritious food for the family, daily necessities, meet the education and medical expenses of their children, and use it for small savings.
The minister also mentioned that there is a huge demand for skilled caregivers in the current world. Bangladesh wants to create skilled caregivers and create employment opportunities abroad while maintaining international standards; for this purpose, he sought Japan’s overall cooperation. He also sought assistance in exporting traditional handicrafts made by rural women of Bangladesh to the Japanese market.
JICA Chief Representative Takahashi Junko highlighted JICA’s overall development activities in Bangladesh and said that JICA is actively participating in women and child welfare, skill development and support for marginal fishermen in Cox’s Bazar region, agricultural training for women, and humanitarian activities in Rohingya camps.
He expressed his firm determination to further strengthen mutual cooperation in human resource development and women’s empowerment in Bangladesh in the future. The JICA delegation highly appreciated the various initiatives taken by the government for social protection in Bangladesh.
At one point, the minister urged JICA to increase investment not only in the infrastructure sector but also in human resource development.
