President Urges Optimum Use of Bangladesh’s Youth Dividend

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. File Photo

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called for the optimum use of Bangladesh’s demographic dividend, describing the country’s large youth population as a major asset and an opportunity for national development.

“Young people make up the largest segment of the country’s population. This is known as the demographic dividend. It is a great asset and opportunity for the country, and making the most of it will bring us success,” he said.

The President made the remarks while inaugurating National Youth Day 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka on Sunday.

He said Bangladesh was still classified as a least developed country (LDC) and was preparing to graduate from the category and become a developing country. The preparation period for the transition had been extended by another three years, he added.

“The necessary capacities must be developed during this period so that Bangladesh can remain competitive after graduating from the LDC category,” he said.

The country’s young people could play the most significant role in this process, the President said, describing them as the principal driving force of the future and stressing that they also had a responsibility to help build it.

He said young people needed to be made employment-oriented to move Bangladesh forward, adding that they should be placed at the centre of production and economic activity.

“A country cannot advance solely through political revolution or change; it must also be built,” he said.

The President also highlighted the contributions and initiatives of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia to youth development.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to developing the country and its young people, he said they must be brought to the forefront and given leading roles in every aspect of nation-building.

He called for involving young people in all areas of national development and removing obstacles to progress and improvements in their lives.

Praising young and women entrepreneurs, the President said he was encouraged by their initiatives, noting that many were producing their own goods with limited capital and finding success in both domestic and export markets.

He said the achievements of women entrepreneurs had particularly impressed him. Citing the example of a woman earning a substantial income by producing local food items and sweets, he said she had not only supported her family but also taken steps to export her products.

The President urged young people to become self-reliant while creating employment opportunities for others. He also called for expanding the activities of the Department of Youth Development to provide greater support to entrepreneurs.

He said the department’s training programmes and post-training loan assistance needed to become more effective and reach more people.

“If training, loans and other forms of assistance can be provided to suitable entrepreneurs through proper procedures, it will be possible to reduce unemployment and build a self-reliant society,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of technical education alongside general education to develop a skilled workforce.

Calling on young people to stay away from drug addiction, the President described it as a major problem facing the country’s youth and said its spread had reached an alarming level. He called for effective measures through awareness campaigns and other programmes to address the problem.

He also urged young people to speak out against violence against women, dowry, discrimination and other social injustices. He called on them to organise movements and awareness programmes to prevent such practices.

Highlighting the potential of biogas, the President said expanding the use of the environment-friendly energy source could help address some of the country’s fuel and electricity challenges.

He called for biogas projects to be expanded across the country, noting that the technology remained useful despite having been introduced many years ago.

Congratulating the recipients of the National Youth Awards, he said their achievements could serve as examples for other young people across the country.

At the end of his speech, the President announced the inauguration of a weeklong job fair organised for National Youth Day 2026, along with more than 1,200 biogas plants established across the country.

Earlier, he handed over awards to recipients at the national and divisional levels.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque chaired the programme, while Director General of the Department of Youth Development Md Motaher Hossain delivered the welcome address.

Md Abul Khair Bhuiyan, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and Acting Secretary of the ministry Md Mahfuzul Alam Khan also addressed the event as special guests.

A video documentary on youth activities was screened at the programme. Before the event, the President visited various stalls at the youth fair organised for the occasion.