Fakhrul urges employment based edn

BNP Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday urged the country's youth not to let the current opportunity for national transformation slip away, calling on students to equip themselves with skills and embrace entrepreneurship to help rebuild the economy.

Speaking at the orientation programme for newly admitted students at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU) in Dhaka, Fakhrul said the country is at a critical juncture and that the younger generation has a key role to play in shaping its future.

"Only five months into the government's tenure, all kinds of discussions have already begun. Such debates are natural, but we must not squander the opportunity before us. We have to utilise this chance to move the country forward," he said. The minister alleged that the country's economy and institutions had been severely weakened over the past 17 years and said the government had begun the process of rebuilding them.

Highlighting unemployment as one of the country's biggest challenges, he said Bangladesh has nearly 40 million educated young people, but employment opportunities remain inadequate. He stressed that expanding skill-based and employment-oriented education would take time but remains a government priority.

Calling on students to look beyond traditional government jobs, Fakhrul encouraged graduates of agricultural universities to establish agro-based industries, agribusinesses and technology-driven farming ventures.

"Studying agriculture does not mean everyone has to seek a government job. Young people should become entrepreneurs who create jobs for others while contributing to the national economy," he said.