The Centre for Policy Dialogue laid emphasis on providing young people with the tools to participate in the digital world for mitigating unemployment, fostering innovation, driving economic growth, and promoting social inclusion.
The private think tank also observed that the broader digital divide had to be addressed to ensure benefits for all youth from technology by facilitating digital inclusion for marginalised groups through affordable internet access, digital literacy initiatives, and meaningful opportunities in the digital economy.
The organisation made the observation at a conference on 鈥榊outh鈥檚 perspectives on reforms: employment, health and technology鈥� at Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Center in Dhaka.
Labour and employment adviser Brigadier General (retired) M Sakhawat Hossain attended the first session as the chief guest while CPD executive director Fahmida Khatun presided over it.
CPD senior research associate Foqoruddin Al Kabir delivered the keynote speech.聽
Founder and chief executive officer of Shikho Shahir Chowdhury, co-founder and CEO of the ShareTrip Limited Sadia Haque, CEO of the BD Jobs Limited AKM Fahim Mashroor, spokesperson for the Students Against Discriminations Umama Fatima, president of the Leathergoods and Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association of Bangladesh Syed Nasim Manzur and member (registration and certification) of the National Skills Development Authority Alif Rudaba were the discussants of the session.聽聽
CPD joint director dialogue and outreach Avra Bhattacharjee moderated the open discussion.
In his speech, Sakhawat Hossain urged youth to equip them with the modern technology to take the nation forward through facing all the next challenges.
鈥楳ost of the Bangladeshi expatriate workers are not respected in the host countries because they are not exported as skilled workers. So, youth should take technical education,鈥� he added.
Foqoruddin Al Kabir urged the authorities to bridge the digital gender divide by removing connectivity barriers and equipping women and girls with the skills needed to thrive in the digital age.
He said that the NSDP was formulated to develop the country鈥檚 human capital and align workforce skills with the demands of the rapidly evolving economy.
He said that Bangladesh had to adopt strategies that capitalised on the demographic resource as the country was currently experiencing a demographic dividend, a critical window of opportunity that was expected to peak in the coming decades.
鈥楢t the heart of this opportunity are the youth鈥攌ey drivers of innovation and progress. One-fourth of the country鈥檚 population is in the 15-29 age group. The country鈥檚 current youth population is 45.9 million, which is approximately 28 percent of the total. The average age of Bangladesh鈥檚 population is 27 years [United Nations, department of economic and social affairs, population division, 2022],鈥� he added.
