Md. Shahidul Islam Sumon

“Where do you see yourself five years from now?” This frequently asked question in job interviews has now become a cruel joke for many young Bangladeshis. When a highly educated graduate answers, “Sir, for now, I would be happy if I could pay next month’s mess rent,” it reflects a harsh social reality. Long-term career dreams, social status and hopes for a better life have been overshadowed by the struggle to arrange enough money for basic monthly survival.

After graduation, many young people find themselves more concerned about mess rent, food bills, transportation costs and job application fees than about building their careers. When the youth of an independent country spend their most creative and productive years trying to meet these expenses while searching for jobs, it is no longer simply an individual failure. It exposes serious weaknesses in our education system, employment policy and development planning.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Labour Force Survey, unemployment is highest among people holding institutional qualifications, at 13.54 percent. The country now has around 885,000 educated and degree-holding unemployed people. In contrast, unemployment among those without formal literacy or certificates is only 1.25 percent. The figures send a clear and alarming message: as educational qualifications increase, so does the risk of unemployment. An education system intended to make people self-reliant and employable is instead leaving many disconnected from the real job market.

According to observations by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and the World Bank, the crisis is not simply a lack of jobs but also a major shortage of job-oriented skills suited to market demand. Around 700,000 graduates enter the job market every year from public and private universities and colleges, while only about 300,000 jobs are created in the mainstream institutional sector. As a result, another 400,000 young people join the ranks of the unemployed each year. The problem is further aggravated by lengthy recruitment procedures and bureaucratic complications.

The BCS examination conducted by the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) and integrated bank recruitment processes can take three to five years from the preliminary stage to final recommendations. Spending the best years of life waiting for government job results causes many young people to lose the opportunity, age and motivation to enter the private sector. Some eventually cross the age limit and find few alternatives.

At the same time, the country’s much-discussed demographic dividend risks becoming a demographic curse. A large working-age population is a historic economic advantage, but only when people have access to appropriate employment and skills. Leaving educated and capable young people unemployed for months wastes valuable human resources. Economists warn that the mismatch between education and the skills demanded by international markets and domestic industries is costing Bangladesh significant economic potential. Prolonged unemployment can also fuel frustration, social instability, drug abuse, crime and mental depression.

Professor Ridwanul Haque of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) at the University of Dhaka has identified another major challenge. The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), automation and modern technology is reducing many conventional institutional positions worldwide and in the domestic market. Traditional opportunities in media, general accounting and administrative work are declining, while new fields are expanding in technical work, information technology, data analytics, software engineering and other skill-based sectors.

Therefore, Bangladesh must move beyond traditional certificate-oriented and memory-based education and strengthen technical, technology-based and practical learning to international standards. Curricula must be regularly updated according to industry needs through stronger Industry-Academia Collaboration.

Young people must also change their approach to employment. The culture of spending three or four years in a mess waiting only for the BCS or selected corporate jobs must end. Students should engage in internships, part-time work, freelancing or skill-based projects during their studies or immediately after graduation. Any form of work can provide practical experience, reduce the frustration of unemployment and open doors to better professional opportunities. Young people must also overcome the tendency to look down on certain types of work.

Government and institutional recruitment processes urgently need reform. Under a strict legal framework, the entire government recruitment process from preliminary examination to final appointment, should be completed within six to nine months. This would prevent valuable years from being lost. At the same time, young people should be encouraged to become job creators rather than merely job seekers. Easy startup loans without collateral, initial tax incentives and a business environment free from administrative complications could encourage entrepreneurship.

The indomitable talent and courage of Bangladesh’s young people can contribute significantly to the national economy if supported by appropriate policies and institutions. Addressing unemployment therefore requires a coordinated effort involving education reform, skills development, faster recruitment, practical work opportunities and support for entrepreneurship. Only then can the country turn its large young population into a genuine demographic dividend rather than a source of wasted potential.

Author: Economist, columnist and researcher on the Chittagong Hill Tracts.