Minister Urges Tech-Driven Youth Skill Utilization
• Tech and professional skills must align with national economic priorities.
• Policy-driven job creation is vital alongside workforce upskilling.
• Ethics and sociopolitical reality must integrate into national curricula.
Harnessing science, technical knowledge, and innovation to align youth capabilities with national economic goals remains essential, stated Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon. He delivered the keynote address on Thursday (August 20, 2026) at the 'From Skill to Opportunity' job fair held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (China-Bangladesh Friendship Conference Centre) in Dhaka. The event was organized by Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) in partnership with Chorgawsan for Children and Educo.
Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon emphasized that youth capacity building should transcend personal employment and actively drive national productivity. Beyond skilling human resources for existing roles, state economic, industrial, and production policies must deliberately expand market capacity to create new employment verticals.
Citing technological transformation in ready-made garments during the tenure of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman—which integrated South Korean expertise and technology alongside state financing and policy support—the Minister highlighted how technology transfer establishes enduring industrial sectors. Given Bangladesh's geographical constraints, expanding export baskets and domestic manufacturing demands continuous technological innovation and industrial diversification.
He advised job seekers to understand macroeconomic realities and national interests, urging the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) to embed professional ethics and social awareness within skill training frameworks.
Presided over by Educo Bangladesh Country Director Abdul Hamid, the session was addressed by National Skills Development Authority Executive Chairman Dr. Nazneen Kawshar Chowdhury and ESDO Executive Director Dr. Md. Shahid Uz Zaman.
//DBTech/IHIP/SME//
