Govt to launch Employment Exchange Centre

The government is set to launch an Employment Exchange Centre in December to bring job seekers and employers under one platform and help reduce unemployment.

Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury announced the initiative at a press briefing held at the ministry’s conference room on Sunday.

The minister said the centre would initially be launched on a pilot basis before being expanded in phases to all divisions and eventually to all 64 districts.

He said job and career fairs at colleges and universities across the country would be used to build a comprehensive database of job seekers.

The government would also prepare online and offline databases showing workforce requirements in factories and industries. The centre would then connect job seekers with employers based on their qualifications and the needs of employers.

Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin said the initiative was part of the government’s election manifesto, which promised to establish an Employment Exchange and organise career fairs across the country.

He said the initiative would create opportunities not only for educated job seekers but also for people outside the mainstream education system seeking to enter the job market.

“The country’s main strength is its demographic dividend, and the government wants to respond to the aspirations of the younger generation,” he said.

Earlier, Labour and Employment Secretary Md Abdur Rahman Tarafder gave an update on recent initiatives of the ministry, including the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act, elimination of child labour, the Minimum Wage Board and the Bangladesh Labour Rules.

Among others, Md Farhad Siddique, inspector general of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments; Md Abdur Rahim Khan, additional secretary of the ministry; and Md Abdus Samad Al Azad, director general of the Department of Labour, attended the briefing.