Unemployment Problem in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is beset with numerous serious problems and unemployment is one of those. The country's unemployment scenario is very alarming as 15 million, of the total estimated workforce of 70 million, remain unemployed posing a threat to the economy and causing a national concern. This unfortunate situation has resulted from the lack of adequate employment opportunities at home and the country's failure to avail itself of the opportunity for securing their jobs abroad as most of them are unskilled. In the present day world, manpower is considered everywhere as precious national assets, but it is disappointing that we are unable to utilise properly our human resources.
Ours is a poor country with limited resources and naturally unable to meet the basic needs of the people. It is not difficult to understand that these huge jobless people are passing days in dire hardship and contributing to the social instability. They are considered as a burden not on themselves and their families alone, but also on the nation which is deprived of their services. However, the jobless people themselves are not exclusively responsible for this dismal situation, because adequate employment opportunities are not there for them to be engaged in works.
Instead of being expanded, the employment opportunities have, rather, shrunk in the country in recent years due to political uncertainty, economic slowdown and fall in both foreign and domestic investments. New industries are not being set up as investors are reluctant to make further investments before the political climate and security situation improve and economic crisis ends. Besides, many agricultural labourers also have been rendered jobless in the wake of repeated floods, river erosion and natural calamity like Sidr.
Unemployment situation would have been eased to some extent had it been possible to send more and more manpower abroad with jobs. But that has not been possible for different reasons including lack of adequate initiatives by Bangladesh missions abroad and unfavourable labour policies of several manpower importing countries. Several countries have reduced appointments of foreign workers in the wake of global recession. As a result the scope for Bangladeshi job seekers' employment abroad has shrunk considerably.
Against the backdrop of skyrocketing of the prices of essentials, the massive unemployment is causing dreadful economic hardship among the people concerned while even the employed ones too are finding it very difficult to cope with the situation. In the words of Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen ' Poverty means not scarcity of essentials, but lack of capacity to purchase those'. This lack of purchasing power of the people, specially those who are jobless, constitutes the gravest part of the economic crisis the nation is plunged in.
Under these circumstances, the prime need of the hour is to take necessary measures for large scale employment generation through revitalising the industrial sector by promoting local and foreign investments. Alongside, no stone should be left unturned to boost manpower exports to foreign countries. Meanwhile, as a welfare step, the government may grant subsistence allowance for the unemployed people besides encouraging the banks to advance loans to them for starting business activities to ensure their self -employment. It may be mentioned here that the government move to provide jobs for at least one educated person of each family is a timely step in the right direction and it should be implemented with utmost sincerity. The sooner this scheme can be implemented, the better.