The youth of Bangladesh have unlimited untapped potential, and they are, without a doubt, our nation’s greatest resource.
Thus, if Bangladesh is to ever truly reach the ambitious goals it has set for itself over the next two decades, there is nothing more important than investing in the youth and equipping them with the appropriate skills so that they are prepared for the challenges and opportunities that come our way.
Furthermore, Bangladesh has always wanted to be a model for not just development, but equitable development, which also adheres to the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals of “leaving no one behind.” Therefore, along with the youth population, it is equally important to empower minorities and the disadvantaged, who unfortunately are often an afterthought.
With that in mind, it is extremely encouraging to see that the government has approved a Tk4,300 crore project to groom the country’s youth, women, and the disadvantageous section of the population.
These are the kinds of projects that Bangladesh requires moving forward -- skill development has long been identified as a need, and the emphasis on women and the disadvantaged to be included in this project is the sort of inclusive thinking we would like to see more of.
Bangladesh is currently experiencing a demographic dividend, and it is crucial for us to utilize our youth population, so that we can take that next logical step to becoming a full-fledged middle-income country and also achieve the SDGs.
However, unlike other economies, Bangladesh, in adhering to the principles of equitable growth, can avoid the middle income trap and continue its ascent to fulfil its destiny of becoming a developed economy by 2041.
