The Japanese nationals, who left Bangladesh due to the spread of coronavirus, have started returning to their workplaces at different development projects in the country, sources said.
They said that few Japanese consultants, contractors or experts have already arrived in Dhaka and some others to come at the end of this month and in the first week of September.
Monitoring the situation after the arrival of these Japanese nationals, others would gradually join their workplaces, they added.
A good number of Japanese experts, consultants and contractors are engaged in the projects like third terminal development project at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, metro rail projects, Moheskhali-Matarbari Integrated Infrastructure and Port Development Projects.
But most of them, except some young ones, left the country in the first week of April after the government of Bangladesh announced general holidays on March 26 following the spread of coronavirus.
Though many foreign consultants and contractors, including the Chinese ones, have already joined their respective projects, the Japanese people were reluctant to return causing slow progress of the highly invested projects.
There was also a travel advisory by the Japanese government which also discouraged Japanese companies to come to Bangladesh mainly due to the increase of coronavirus cases.
However, a Japanese embassy official said some companies and businessmen have already come back to Bangladesh though many were still remained cautious due to the travel advisory.
He also said that others were seeking time to come back as they are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and the capacity of available medical facilities.
Following slow progress of the Japan-funded mega projects, a meeting of the taskforce on the fast-track projects held at the end of June had directed all the project offices to take initiative to bring the Japanese back. The meeting was informed that most of the foreign consultants of the mega projects joined the projects, except the Japanese.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited, the executing agency to implement four metro rails in the city, has requested the foreign ministry to take necessary measures to appeal the Japanese government through the Japanese embassy in this regard.
According to officials of different projects, two Japanese working in the special economic zone development project have arrived in the country and are now in quarantine.
Some four consultants of Mass Rapid Transit Line 6 project are expected to arrive on August 30 and some others of MRT 1 and MRT 5 by first week of September.
An official of HSIA 3rd terminal development project also said that they were also expecting return of their officials of Japanese contractor within two to three days.
smunima@yahoo.com