Bangladesh, unemployment and youth migration are the first challenge of the Yunus government, the banker of the poor today interim prime minister

DHAKA (AsiaNews) – The banker of the poor, Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been interim prime minister of Bangladesh since August 8, after the fall of the authoritarian government of Sheikh Hasina. The political, economic and social situation that he will have to face in his country is nothing short of disastrous.

The work emergency. The world of work and the emergency linked to unemployment, also certified by the numbers, are among the priorities of the government of 84-year-old Muhammad Yunus, who replaced Sheikh Hasina, exiled in India after weeks of protests, and deaths, among students. According to the Labor Force Surveypublished by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), there are currently 2.59 million unemployed people in the country, an increase from 2.47 million at the end of last year and a particular criticality among the younger segments of the population.

The issue of jobs in public administration. Young people represent 20% of the total population of 170 million. People who see no future, especially no job prospects. Another problem that Yunus will have to face is further aggravated by the issue of reserved jobs in the administration for the families of those who fought in 1971 against Pakistan. A social issue that has sparked violent protests in recent months and that contributed to the resignation and escape of the former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.

The choice of many to go elsewhere. Hence the choice of many boys and girls to seek professional opportunities – or continue their university careers – abroad, given the lack of job prospects, poor quality of life and limited career opportunities. In the last decade, the number of students going abroad from the Asian country for higher education has more than doubled, reflecting a growing trend of brain drain that further exacerbates the internal crisis.

The UNESCO report. According to a recently published UNESCO report, in 2023, as many as 52,799 students left Bangladesh to pursue their careers in books at an institution abroad. This is much higher than the 24,112 in 2013 and the 16,609 in 2008, highlighting an increasing trend of young people seeking opportunities outside their national borders. And again, in 2022, 49,151 students left Bangladesh, again with an increase compared to the 44,338 of the previous year. The UN body’s report, entitled “Global Flow of Tertiary-Level Students” (Global Tertiary Student Flow), identifies the United States as the top destination, with 8,524 students welcomed in the last year. Other popular destinations include the United Kingdom (6,586 students), Canada (5,835), Malaysia (5,714) and Germany (5,046). Australia, Japan, India, South Korea and Saudi Arabia have also attracted thousands of Bangladeshi students.

And many risk their lives to reach Europe. Desperate to escape a difficult job market, many risk their lives to migrate to Europe across the Mediterranean. While some succeed, others risk death or imprisonment in foreign countries. Despite these dangers, the desire to migrate remains strong. Bangladesh ranks sixth globally in terms of diaspora population and seventh in expatriate income. The Middle East, led by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait and Oman, has become the main destination.

Only informal jobs. Government statistics show that more than two million young people enter the labor market every year, but only 1.2-1.3 million manage to secure employment within the country. Of these, 85% find work in the informal wage-based market, leaving only 300,000 new jobs in more stable sectors. This serious imbalance between supply and demand is fueling the ongoing exodus of young people, who increasingly seek a better future abroad. In the current critical situation, the Catholic Church in Bangladesh is actively contributing to the creation of job opportunities by focusing on technical education and vocational training in appropriate institutes. The Caritas Bangladeshi Brothers of the Holy Cross and the priests of the Blind They run around 40 vocational institutes, offering young people training opportunities.

The paradox of importing foreign workers. The paradox is that while many young Bangladeshis are seeking work abroad, the country attracts many foreign workers, especially from India, Sri Lanka and China, in key sectors such as garments and textiles. Over 100,000 foreign workers are officially employed, although the real number could be much higher due to the abuse of tourist visas. This also highlights the need for better management of the labor market and policies aimed at creating more domestic professional opportunities for young people.

* Sumon Corraya – Asianews