In order to maintain macroeconomic stability alongside social stability in Bangladesh, creating employment must be given the highest priority. Experts believe that to generate employment in line with demand across the three major sectors of the economy, the government and the private sector must work as complements to each other.
They expressed this view today (Tuesday, 22 July 2025) at a seminar titled “The Challenge of Employment in Bangladesh” held at the Khondkar Ibrahim Khaled Conference Hall of the Unnayan Shamannay office in Dhaka. The seminar was organized by Unnayan Shamannay and chaired by Dr. S. M. Zulfiquar Ali, Research Director of BIDS (Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies). The expert panel included Dr. Sujana Karim, Associate Professor at the Institute of Health Economics, University of Dhaka; Dr. Muhammad Shahadat Hossain Siddiquee, Professor at the Department of Economics, University of Dhaka; development researcher and editorial board member of Sarbojonkotha Maha Mirza; and A. K. M. Fahim Mashroor, CEO of Bdjobs.
While presenting the concept paper on behalf of Unnayan Shamannay, the organization’s Research Director Abdullah Nadvi stated that although the size of GDP at constant prices has increased by 55% over the last eight years, employment has only risen by 11% in comparison. He particularly pointed out the alarming employment situation in the industrial sector. While the sector’s contribution to total GDP rose from 33% to 38% in this period, the number of people employed in it has declined by an average of 1% per year. In this regard, Maha Mirza stated that if the responsibility of job creation in the industrial sector is entirely left to the so-called free market economy, profits may increase, but employment generation in line with demand will not occur. This is evident from five decades of industrialization in Bangladesh. On the other hand, Dr. Shahadat Hossain noted that if the massive resources lost due to the culture of loan default and widespread corruption had been properly utilized, there would be no need to worry about employment now.
Dr. Sujana Karim observed that Bangladesh is paying the price for being overly dependent on a single sector for industrial development. She emphasized that for both industrial growth and adequate employment, Bangladesh must learn from international experiences. Fahim Mashroor pointed out that a disproportionately high number of youth in Bangladesh are graduating without receiving skills-based education. As a result, the unemployment rate is significantly higher among graduates compared to those who have completed only primary, secondary, or higher-secondary education. In his concluding remarks, Dr. Zulfiquar stressed that unless the quality of education is aligned with labor market demand, it will not be possible to meet the challenges posed by automation, digitization, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
