Jica resumes sending volunteers 7 years after Holey Artisan attack

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has brought back the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV) Programme in Bangladesh in September this year.

Since 1973, the Japan International Cooperation Agency has dispatched 1,284 volunteers to Bangladesh, who conducted numerous activities tirelessly in the sectors of rural development, education, health, information and communication technology (ICT), vocational training, solid waste management, and sports.

The programme was suspended in 2016 due to the sad incident at Holey Artisan Bakery.

The programme resumed with the arrival of a physical therapy volunteer in the memorable year of the 50th anniversary of Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Bangladesh started in 1973, said a press release from the organisation.

The Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer Programme is a widely recognised cooperation scheme operated as a part of the Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Through the programme, Japanese citizens volunteer in the partnered countries and use their skills and expertise to contribute to social and economic development.

On the joyous occasion of resuming the programme, the physical therapy volunteer expressed her enthusiasm saying, "I am excited to be the first Jica volunteer to arrive in Bangladesh after the resumption of the JOCV Programme. I look forward to contributing my skills and knowledge to support the service delivery for the disabled at the hospital.

Sharifa Khan, secretary of the Economic Relations Division, said, "We are pleased to welcome JOCV back to Bangladesh. Her skills and experience will be invaluable to developing physical therapy in our country."

Ichiguchi Tomohide, chief representative of Jica Bangladesh Office, said, "The volunteers are an essential part of our cooperation programmes. Bringing back volunteers shows our commitment to walking with the people of Bangladesh towards their development and further advancing the friendship and trust between the two countries.

"We are expecting more volunteers to be dispatched to Bangladesh in the coming months and years, and I am so thrilled to see the positive impacts all over the country through our volunteers' activities and their mutual collaboration with Bangladeshi people at the field level."

The recommencement of the JOCV Programme is a celebratory milestone in the long-standing partnership between Japan and Bangladesh. It is a valuable way to share knowledge and expertise and to help the people of Bangladesh build a more prosperous future for the country, said the organisation.