Youth joblessness is hindering progress

With 33 percent of its population aged between 18 and 35, Bangladesh faces a pressing challenge: creating enough jobs for its youth. Unfortunately, joblessness is on the rise, with around 55 lakh young people aged 15 to 24 being economically inactive. This reality is a major threat to Bangladesh’s development. The consequences are visible in a surge of teenage gang violence, substance abuse, online gambling, urban crime, and gender-based harassment and violence. A recent policy paper by the General Economics Division (GED) lays out the scale of the crisis and, crucially, how these risks are interconnected. Youth marginalisation and limited access to economic opportunity are at the root of these overlapping problems.

Young people aged 15 to 18 years are particularly vulnerable. An estimated 83 lakh young people are affected by substance abuse. At the same time, online gambling is expanding rapidly as idle youth look for ways to make a quick buck or kill time, many becoming addicted. More than 50 lakh people are already involved, and this number could exceed a staggering two crore by 2027 if left unchecked. Rising urban violence is another warning sign. In 2024, nearly 50 youth gangs were active in Dhaka alone, involved in drug peddling, extortion, and other crimes. Similar patterns are emerging outside the capital. The links are cyclical: gang involvement often leads to substance abuse, which in turn deepens ties to criminal networks. Breaking this cycle requires urgent and coordinated action. Otherwise, what should have been a demographic dividend could turn into a demographic burden.

Meanwhile, current interventions fall far short. Existing training programmes reach only 3.64 percent of economically inactive youth, leaving the vast majority without pathways to employment. In terms of curbing drug addiction among the youth, government plans to add 1,679 rehabilitation beds will help only a fraction of the 83 lakh individuals affected by addiction.

The GED report should be treated as a wake-up call. Bangladesh must place youth development at the centre of its policymaking. This means rethinking employment strategies by creating public works programmes such as environmental cleanups, expanding part-time jobs for students, and scaling up vocational training. Polytechnic institutions need urgent reform, with better teachers and updated curriculum aligned with market demands. At the same time, labour markets should diversify to open doors to higher-paying jobs, both domestically and abroad. Addressing substance abuse will require a parallel expansion of affordable rehabilitation and counselling services. Law enforcement must act against gang activity. Rehabilitation-focused detention and reintegration programmes are essential to help young people rebuild their lives.

There must also be widespread awareness campaigns to teach parents how to nurture their teenage children, to sensitise teachers and youth leaders to be mentors, and to educate young people on the consequences of substance abuse, online gambling, and criminal behaviour. Young people must be made to feel valued by the government, their families, and society. Bangladesh’s youth remains its greatest asset, if given the opportunity to thrive.