Reza Mahmud :
About 17 lakh youths lost their jobs in the country on account of adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, says a study of International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Asian Development Bank (ADB).
They are in crisis and struggle to survive though many of them opted to be an entrepreneur.
Abid Hossain, 30, fell in deep trouble when he was curtailed suddenly from his job from a private firm in last June due to the pandemic.
He made a hectic effort to arrange a new job but did not succeed.
Finally, he started selling vegetables on a rickshaw van in lanes and by lanes in the capital.
“My business was profitable for sometimes. But, now I am facing problem to make profit as many unemployed people joined the business erecting makeshift shops,” he said.
Mahbub, who worked at a government office as an outsourcing worker, lost his job during the coronavirus lockdown. On the other hand, his father’s makeshift shop of motor parts at Dholaikhal in the capital was also closed due to the lockdown.
He tried to get a job in different offices in the city after passing hard days in lockdown, but failed.
Finally, he went to Gazipur and joined a readymade garments factory for survival of his four members family.
He said he earned a handsome amount from his previous work but now he earns a little which is insufficient to maintain his family.
Arif Ahmed, who also lost job during lockdown, has started a stationary shop in his native town Belkuchi in Sirajgonj. But he fells to get better earnings now. “My sells turnover is moderate as school and colleges remained shut. My income is not so good what I had earned in my previous job.
Arif was terminated from an office of buying house when the lockdown enforced.
Faruk Hossain, in his 50, failed to keep his small business firm survived during the lockdown.
He left his renting resident and office as well for his village home in Faridpur.
He is still unemployed and searching a way living.
He is considering to sell a portion of his agro land to start a business, but he is anxious about the survival.
Like Faruk, many other youths who lost job in the pandemic are in hardship as most of them still are unemployed.
A recent study conducted by International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) combined showed about 17 lakh youths of in Bangladesh lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
‘Tackling the covid-19 youth employment crisis in Asia and Pacific’ titled study suggested that numbers of those unemployed are now in uncertain condition.
On the other hand, World Bank in its recent report said that about 66 percent youths in urban areas and 41 percent in rural areas lost their works due to the pandemic.
The World Bank report showed that highest 74 percent people have lost job in the capital city.
Beside, about 45 percent rural people lost jobs in rural areas in Dhaka division.
In Chattogram city about 63 per cent in urban and 43 per cent people lost job in rural areas.
About 61 per cent in urban and 35 per cent in rural population lost jobs in Rajshahi division.
In Khulna, about 59 per cent in urban and about 39 per cent in rural population lost job. Similarly, people of the other divisions also lost work in a good number due to the pandemic.
On the other hand, Policy Research Institute, a none government organization said in a report that about 1.50 crore people has lost their jobs due to and during the pandemic.
Dr. Ahsan H Mansur, Executive Director of the Policy Research Institute, said, many of the people who lost jobs have become entrepreneurs, it is a good sign.
But due to the hardship of the pandemic, the government should take policies to help those new start-ups survival.
