Youths
Two youths killed in Keraniganj ‘gunfight’
Two youths, who sustained bullet injuries in a "gunfight" with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) late last night, died during treatment at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday.
The identities of the deceased are yet to be confirmed.
Read:Criminal wanted in robbery & murder case killed in Chattogram ‘gunfight’
Md Bacchu Mia of DMCH police outpost said that the two youths were admitted to the hospital around midnight on Monday with bullet wounds. They died around 10 am on Tuesday, he added.
Sources within the elite force told UNB that the gunfight took place between RAB and a local gang in the Jhilmil residential area of Keraniganj on Monday night.
While most of the gang members managed to escape, these two youths were found dead and were brought to DMCH by RAB personnel, the sources added.
Read: ‘Rohingya robber’ killed in ‘gunfight’ with Rab in Cox's Bazar
While contacted, the officer-in-charge of South Keraniganj Police Station Abul Kalam Azad told UNB,” We have assigned a team to gather more information about the gunfight. Details about it will be revealed to the media soon."
Speakers for using ‘disengaged youths’ for development
Speakers at a virtual dialogue on Wednesday stressed the need for using the country’s ‘disengaged youths’ for the development of the country.
“Bangladesh youths have very innovative power and many of them are becoming entrepreneurs and surviving in the global competitions with their merit and talent. But there is another youth community who is not properly used for the country and the nation,” said noted economist Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya.
Citizen’s Platform for SDGs Bangladesh and UNDP Bangladesh arranged the virtual dialogue on “Disengaged Youth in Bangladesh: Who, Why and How?” on the eve of the International Youth Day 2021, which would be observed on Thursday (August 12) across the world.
Dr Bhattacharya, also the Convenor of the Citizen’s Platform said the disengaged youths are not engaged in education, training or employment. “We call them ‘Disengaged Youth’ not ‘Alienated Youth’ of the country,” he said.
Noting that there is difference in opinion over the definition of youths, he said if the people aged below 25 years are considered as youths, they would be 45 percent of the country’s population, who will lead the global development programmes in future.
Read: Dhaka-Beijing ties can be prime mover for Bangladesh’s transformation: Debapriya
However, the youths are badly facing the brunt of the ongoing pandemic situation, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, also a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
UNDP Resident Representative Sudipto Mukerjee in his introductory speech put emphasis on connecting the disengaged youths to the mainstream for keeping the commitment made under the 2030 global development agenda (SDGs) to ‘Leave No One Behind’.
He said many young people are at a great risk of being deprived of the entitlement of leading dignified and productive lives. “If they will not be quickly connected, we would badly fail in achieving the agenda 2030,” he said.
Researcher Maha Mirza said there is a lack of policy discourse to address the huge number of the youth population disengaged from the country’s socio-economic development process.
“Since our planners and policymakers can’t think beyond three things –garments, remittance and 4th industrial revolution, the biggest portion of the youth community, who are engaged in different sorts of economic activities in information and formal sectors across the country, often remain out of their plans and policies,” she said.
Transgender rights activist Tashnuva Anan Shishir pointed out the absence of specific legal facilities, social stigma and lack of awareness are leaving the transgender youths behind.
Read: Protect consumption, promote employment in next budget: Debapriya
Disability Rights Activist Joshiah Sangma Chibol mentioned that people with disabilities are not a homogenous group, rather there are many dimensions to it. Different types of physical disability and social stigma prevents them from accessing general education and basic rights, which needs to be addressed for future development.
Executive Director of Youth Engagement for Sustainability (YES), Bangladesh Shamim Ahmed said more focus should be on youth skill development and employment to contribute more towards the economy. The policies should not be urban-centric only, he suggested.
Mohon Rabidas, Tea Garden Worker Rights Activist, commented that the youth of the tea garden workers community are mostly disengaged from the outside world and do not even receive proper education, for which they are unable to raise their voice.
Jimi Amir of Bangladesh Open Source Network (BdOSN) said the term “disengaged” needs to be accurately defined to address the overall youth disengagement.
CPD Senior Research Fellow Towfiqul Islam Khan moderated the dialogue.
Empowering youths: 5 lakh to get soft skills training in 5 years
The government is going to provide soft skills training to 500,000 jobseekers and employees within the next five years, aiming to improve their employability skills.
“The demand for soft skilled and trained people will substantially be increased over the next decades as huge jobs will be transformed by technology,” State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak said on Saturday.
He said the government in partnership with a reputed global organization will provide the quality soft skills training to students, jobseekers, employees, self-employed individuals and freelancers to enhance their personal ability to get and keep a job.
Also read: ICT division to digitize 73 libraries, says Palak
Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) under ICT Division in partnership with Wadhani Operating Foundation (WoF), a US-based nonprofit public benefit corporation, will provide the training online under BCC’s training platform `www.bdskills.gov.bd’.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between BCC and WoF last week (1 August 2021) to complete the soft skills training programme by 2026.
Investment Guide: How Bangladeshi Youths Can Invest money and Create Wealth?
Most young people in first-world countries want to do something new. It is normal to be an entrepreneur there. But most of the young people in Bangladesh want to get a job. Not everyone thinks of themselves as entrepreneurs.
This is due to some conventional social ideas, and some lack of enthusiasm of the youth. Traditionally we think Jobs are better than business, respectable. And if you do business, you have to run after investments. That's why we have to declare to be an entrepreneur. However, this does not mean that it is bad to have a job. Some will work, some will be entrepreneurs. There is no conflict between the two.
Read How to Restart Your Career after a Break?
We do not try to understand that the entrepreneurs will lead Bangladesh. But you have to have the vision to be an entrepreneur. A dream, concentrated pursuit, and passion are needed. Moreover, you must have to be stubborn. And we especially need the knowledge-based thinking of today's age. So, how can you invest to create wealth at a young age? Read on to know the ways.
Why should the youths think about Wealth Creation?
About 22 lakh youths enter the job market in the country every year. Even after being sent abroad, with government-private jobs and being involved in various informal activities, about 1 million boys and girls cannot afford a decent job for themselves every year. Needless to say, if even 10 percent of these 22-lakh youth can be turned into entrepreneurs, then they will be able to provide employment to the rest.
According to a World Economic Forum report, the invention of new technologies has created more new jobs in the market. That will still be the case. But the preparation for that must be revolutionary!
Read What makes a Great Manager: Know the Qualities and Skills
Apart from studying, you should also focus on problem-solving, core skills, public management skills, and communication. All these together will help a student to become an entrepreneur, at the same time make themselves ready for the job market too.
Nevertheless, Bangladeshi jobs are saturated, and getting a job is becoming harder day by day. Moreover, getting qualified candidates is even harder. So, the youth should think of alternative ways to build their career and focus on wealth creation from a young age. This is because the Bangladeshi economy is growing. As per the recent report by HSBC Global, “Bangladesh is likely to be the biggest mover in the global gross domestic product rankings in 2030, becoming the 26th largest economy in the world from 42nd now.”
Furthermore, the per capita income was also raised. Despite these favorable conditions, people are still wary of investing. The young generation should focus more on building their empire using all the favorable economic conditions. Because wealth cannot be built overnight. Therefore, starting from a young age is the prime time. It is because an early start gives the opportunity to have more time, and eventually, time leads to building wealth.
Read Traits of the Smartest and Most Efficient Employees
Furthermore, at a young age, people tend to take more risks and the risk tolerance level is also high. At a young age, you can cope up with a failure and can start over again. On the other hand, it is not possible in the older age or even in middle age.
As you get older, you will have more financial responsibilities on your shoulders. Besides, with the growing responsibilities, your risk-taking character diminishes. But these things don’t matter if you are young. At a young age, you can start with a small investment. Over the period, the small investment will generate substantial wealth if you act right.
Thinking about Investing
You might not have enough money to invest or you might have some savings to invest. In both cases, a proper plan can get you the gem. Furthermore, a mindset is also an important element before investing. It can increase your earnings. However, if you spend your earnings without a plan, you will find difficulties keeping track.
If you want to be rich and successful in life, you don't just have to spend wisely. You will also need to work hard. What else you might need?
Let’s find them out.
It is very important that you have a deep attachment to the work you are doing. You have to have a love for your work, you have to enjoy your work as well as work hard.
Read Saving vs. Investing Money: Know the Pros and Cons
There are always different types of people around you, many of whom are people who have no purpose in life. It is better to stay away from people of this nature. Stay In touch with those who set their own goals, those who are constantly working to reach success. You will also have the desire to achieve success. This is one of the best ways to achieve success quickly.
However, you can also find an investor if you have a profitable business plan. In this case, just as you have to have a clear idea about your business model, the general issues like income expenditure, profit-loss should be at your fingertips. Usually, investors try to find out the real situation by asking questions about various aspects of the business. Business capital can be matched if you can satisfy the investor with the requirements.
When you think about investing in anything, keep in mind that investments come with risk too. In fact, you should be prepared for the loss too.
Read Renowned online payment gateways in Bangladesh for domestic, international transactions
One-third of female employed youths jobless as impact of Covid-19: BRAC
More women lost jobs, had a harder time finding another job, and had a much slower income recovery amid Covid-19 in Bangladesh.
A third of the young women employed before the pandemic in the country were out of jobs in January 2021.
Read: Create more overseas jobs for female workers: Speakers
The rate is almost three times higher in women (29%) than that of young men (11%).
The female youths who again found a job later, income recovery has dropped only 10% for male youths while it is 21% for female youths in January 2021.
The data mentioned above was presented by Dr Imran Matin, executive director of BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), in a webinar organised on Sunday.
Respondents in the study pointed out that private tutoring, handicrafts, factory jobs, tailoring and light engineering are among the areas in which more young women used to find employment conventionally, but again these are among the hardest hit economic areas in the pandemic.
Read: Ensure more jobs for women to achieve desired prosperity
The respondents also think that recovery of these particular areas will be tough and take time even when the pandemic is over, making it difficult for female youths to come back to paid employment.
The BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) and BRAC’s skills development programme (SDP) hosted the webinar titled ‘Building a resilient ecosystem for women in the skills sector: challenges and prospects’ to celebrate World Youth Skills Day (July 15).
Highlighting the survey findings, Dr Matin said so many working women remaining out of paid work for such a long period may cause many to permanently leave the job market, which may further reduce the already low rate of women’s labour market participation.
Covid shock may threaten to undo much of the progress made around women’s empowerment unless corrective measures are taken, he said.
Speaking at the webinar, speakers emphasised on greater awareness on the importance of technical and vocational education, and training and development of other skills relevant to both local and global economies.
BIGD in collaboration with SDP has conducted a number of studies identifying the sustained beneficial impact of skills training on women’s economic independence.
Speaking on the possible interventions, a panel of development professionals shared their insights, highlighted the importance of adopting proper implementation strategies, and stressed that the evidence-based findings from different relevant studies need to be taken into view in building a resilient ecosystem for women in the area of skills development.
Joydeep Sinha Roy, head of operations of BRAC SDP, presented findings from SDP’s implementation experiences over the years at the event.
The presentation pointed out that culture and traditional gender roles, gender stereotyping, lack of career guidance, safety concerns particularly fear of gender-based violence and sexual harassment, family responsibilities, and availability of quality apprenticeship occupations are the major barriers for adolescent girls’ and young women’s access to skills learning.
To bring change in the sector, Joydeep presented SDP’s incremental approaches - enterprise development training, entrepreneurship training, employability training, classroom training and apprenticeship training.
The presentation recommended more awareness about skills training both at the individual and household level, access to the labour market through skills training, raising awareness to change perception towards women, enabling a women-friendly environment in the labour market, and access to jobs and retention to improve the scenario.
Following the presentation, Tasmiah Tabassum Rahman, current in-charge of BRAC Skills Development Programme moderated a discussion also attended by BRAC’s Gender, Justice and Diversity Programme director Nobonita Chowdhury, International Labour Organization’s programme officer (M&E) for Skills 21 Project Tahmid Arif, and Natore-based Neda Society’s executive director Jahanara Beauty.
BRAC’s Gender, Justice and Diversity Programme director Nobonita Chowdhury emphasised bringing change in designing proper interventions.
“Instead of designing interventions separately, we need to focus on making integrated interventions in line with mainstreaming women empowerment in different sectors.”
ILO programme officer (M&E) for Skills 21 Project Tahmid Arif said, “Changing mindset is crucial not only for skills training of female youths, but also for their employment. Conducting training is not enough. We also need to make sure those who receive training also get an employment opportunity and the opportunity has to be sustainable.”
Highlighting the harsh impact of Covid-19 on the female workforce, Neda Society ED Jahanara Beauty said, “During the pandemic many employers opted to keep male ones instead of female youths in informal sectors.
As many women had to leave their job, it impacted not only their income or employment but also their surrounding situations.
There was sharp decline in their savings, while violence against women increased and incidents of child marriage rose drastically.”
Take up fish farming as livelihood, Prime Minister tells youths
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged the youths to take up fish farming as their livelihood to exploit the huge scope of employment in this sector."There is a huge opportunity of employment in the sector and this should be utilised," she said in a pre-recorded video message to the 18th founding anniversary programme of Awami Matsyajibi League here.
"We have taken measures to improve fish production through expansion of pisciculture and research," she said.
Also read: PM Hasina for harnessing potential of youths
Reiterating her government’s goal of making Bangladesh economically self-sufficient, the prime minster said the country will march ahead following the ideals and principles of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman."On the 50th anniversary of our Independence and birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman our pledge will be to make the country developed and prosperous,” she said.
“We will build Golden Bangladesh of the Father of the Nation," she said.Hasina said the government is providing training to the youths on fish farming to they can make the country more advanced in fish production. She said that Karmasangthan Bank is providing collateral free loan to the youths so that they can stand on their own feet.Hasina said instead of running after office jobs on completion of studies the educated young people can engage in fish production as a means of their livelihood.She said that the government is establishing 100 economic zones across the country where food processing industries can be set up to create opportunities for marketing.In this regard she asked Awami Matsyajibi League leaders to strengthen its organisational capacity to supplement government's effort to increase fish production.
Also read: Developing Bangladesh: PM says the glory came through strugglesShe said in 1996, the Awami League government made the country self-sufficient in food-grains production and after forming the government in 2009 it focused on increasing nutrition along with the food.
In this connection she said that the per capita fish consumption at the country is now 62 grams.She said that due to the government's initiative to ensure nutrition, the citizens no longer suffer from malnutrition.
The Prime Minister said that to increase the fish production further, which is now around 50 lakh metric tonnes a year, the government is renovating the ponds, excavating canals, beels and rivers.
She also said that the government has taken up special measures to improve Hilsha production, in which Bangladesh is number one now."To stop Hilsha catching during the breeding season the government is distributing free food among the fishermen (temporarily jobless)," she said.
Campaign on right to food, health launched
A campaign aimed at ensuring the right to food, food safety and health began with the pledges made by youths to achieve the objectives through personal action and advocacy.
Over 100 youths from 18 countries, including Bangladesh, USA, Canada, Ireland, Brazil, Switzerland and China, took oaths at the campaign titled "Act4Food Act4Change" held virtually on Tuesday night.
"Act4Food Act4Change" is a global youth-led movement promising to achieve sustainable global food systems that provide all people with access to healthy and sustainable diets.
Switzerland-based organization ‘Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)’ and UK-based non-government organization ‘The Food Foundation’ jointly facilitated the virtual programme from their respective locations.
Read: UAE provides 50 mts humanitarian food aid to Bangladesh
UK and Ireland governments are associate partners, said a media release on Wednesday.
The campaign will also be carried out in social media platforms such as Facebook, youtube, twitter and instagram.
The campaign, being held ahead of United Nation Food System Summit, will continue till September this year. The event is likely to be extended later.
The supply of nutritious and safe foods for people has become a challenging task recently due to Covid-19 situation, said the organizers.
Hence, they said, it is imperative to ensure the availability of those foods with the combined efforts of all concerned along with raising awareness of people.
Dipty Chowdhury, a youth leader of UN Food System Summit Action Track-1 and representative of Bhalo Khabo Bhaloa Thakbo campaign of GAIN Bangladesh; Rayan Kassem, Regional Director Youth4Nature, Lebanon; Priya Prakash, Founder HealthSetGo, India; Sophie Healy; Food system and nutrition advocate & Lead Group member of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (SUN), Ireland; among others, spoke at the event.
Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland, has given video message for the campaign.
Femi Oke, internationally renowned journalist, moderated the event.
In her address, Dipty Chowdhury, youth leader of Bangladesh said, “I want to see nutritious food as a basic right and get rid of all the cheap junk food that is now readily available to us”.
Read:Antimicrobial resistance can even threaten food security: PM Hasina
In a statement, Dr. Rudaba Khondker, Country Director of GAIN Bangladesh, said, “Youths especially the girls and young women can shape the food systems for affordable nutritious and safe food for all. During Covid, its importance has become even more crucial and critical”.
Both of them said, Bangladesh can take the lead in line with global pledge by engaging members of Nutrition Clubs across the country and raise awareness on healthy diets among students.
The success of “Bhalo Khabo Bhalo Thakbo” campaign, supported by GAIN Bangladesh, more than 1 million adolescents have so far pledged to consume better food. It has worked as an inspiration to this global youth movement and initiative.
“Bhalo Khabo Bhalo Thakbo” is an ongoing campaign in Bangladesh where any adolescent can take part in it.
Lockdown: Youths respond as ‘ food crisis looms’ in Faridpur
A group of youth is reaching out to the people in need in Faridpur town at night, feeding as many people as they can amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Also read: Lockdown unproductive due to mismanagement: BNPActivists of the Communist Party and the Chhatra Union are distributing packets of hotchpotch (khichuri) among the helpless people throughout the town.The government enforced a weeklong lockdown to contain the transmission of coronavirus. It has been strict at some places and lax at others.
Be employers, not employees: PM to youths
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged the youth to develop a mindset of being self-employed and employers instead of desperately looking for jobs.
Youths make miracle in Bangladesh’s cattle sector
Dhaka, Sept 9 (UNB) – The youth is said to be the driving force behind the development of any country. This is also true in Bangladesh’s case. The country has been witnessing surplus production of cattle over the last three consecutive years, thanks to farmers, particularly the educated youths, for making a miracle in the sector.