Staff Reporter :
Reliance on traditional sectors like garment manufacturing is no longer sufficient; policy incentives are needed to stimulate investment in emerging industries such as information technology and services, stated Dr. Fahmida Khatun, Executive Director (ED) of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), on Saturday.
She emphasized the importance of improving foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and developing human capital to align with global economic demands, particularly in technology and services sectors.
Dr. Khatun made these remarks at a “Policy Café” titled “Bangladesh 2.0: Reimagining Our Economic Future,” held in Dhaka and organized by the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS).
The event gathered distinguished personalities, economic experts, representatives from various organizations, journalists, and business pioneers to examine the opportunities and challenges facing Bangladesh as it moves towards a new economic vision.
The discussion, moderated by Muniruzzaman, featured insights from keynote speakers Dr. Fahmida Khatun and Fahim Mashroor, Founder and CEO of Bdjobs.com.
In his opening remarks, Shafqat Munir, Senior Research Fellow and Head of BCTR at BIPSS, highlighted that Bangladesh has emerged as a significant player in the global economy, demonstrating remarkable resilience and growth.
The thriving ready-made garment industry has propelled exports and created numerous jobs. However, he noted that dependence on this single sector exposes the economy to global market fluctuations.
Fahim Mashroor addressed the pressing issue of youth unemployment. With Bangladesh’s youth demographic at a historic high, he emphasized the urgent need for structural reforms to create viable employment opportunities.
He pointed out that despite over two million graduates entering the job market each year, a significant percentage remain unemployed, indicating a critical gap between educational output and market demand.
“Our demographic dividend could turn into a demographic challenge if we fail to address youth unemployment effectively,” he cautioned.
Mashroor suggested strengthening small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as key players in job creation and proposed policy measures to provide easier access to credit and business development services for these enterprises.
