'Youth unemployment hampers development'

He said creation of employment for the youth is a must to speed up the development process of these countries.

The conference titled ' Youth development and self-help promotion: Experience of SAARC countries' was organised jointly by The Youth Academy and Bangladesh National Commission for UNESCO at the BIAM auditorium.

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The four-day-long conference is aimed at exchanging experience among the SAARC countries to reduce unemployment through self-employment.

"Apart from general education, we have to provide technical and vocational education to our young people so that they could compete with the present world of science and technology," the minister said.

"A large number of students of our country do not continue their study after higher secondary level due to various reasons including financial insolvency," he added.

"We have to provide these drop out students with proper technological know-how so that they could earn for their families as well as contribute to the national development, " the minister noted.

Referring to the gender disparity, he said the number of unemployed young women is higher than their male counterparts in the SAARC countries.

"Development would remain a far cry if we fail to incorporate these young women with the national economy through providing employment," the minister added.

He said the young people will have to engage themselves in self- generating income and the government will extend all possible supports to their efforts.

Besides host Bangladesh, 19 representatives from other SAARC countries are attending the conference.

Education Secretary Muhammad Shahidul Alam, Chairman of the Youth Academy Muhammad Tajul Islam and Secretary of Bangladesh National Commission for UNESCO also spoke at the inaugural session.