No industries, few jobs: Jhenaidah youth in growing despair

Lack of industries and employment opportunities is driving educated youths in Jhenaidah towards economic hardship, migration, drugs, crime and other social problems, raising concerns over the district’s worsening social and economic situation.

The agrarian district, known for its agricultural production and often described as the gateway to the southwest, has no major heavy or medium-sized industries capable of generating significant employment, according to local residents, development workers and business leaders.

Thousands of young people graduate from colleges and universities every year but struggle to find suitable jobs locally. Many are forced to take low-paid jobs, while others migrate to Dhaka or abroad in search of work. The situation has also created opportunities for unscrupulous brokers, who allegedly exploit unemployed youths by promising lucrative overseas jobs and taking large sums of money from them. Local sources said prolonged unemployment and economic hardship are contributing to drug abuse, crime and suicide among young people.

According to data collected from non-governmental development organisations, around 125 people died by suicide in Jhenaidah between January and June 2025. The figure rose to 189 during the same period in 2026. They attributed the suicides mainly to unemployment, family conflicts and financial hardship.

According to district statistics and Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics data cited by local authorities, Jhenaidah has a population of around 2.05 million, while the estimated unemployment rate is about 3.1%, meaning roughly 60,000 people are unemployed.

Shariful Islam, assistant professor of sociology at Jhenaidah Government KC College, said “When working-age youths remain unemployed for a long time, it is natural for crime and suicide rates to increase.” He called for joint initiatives by government and private organisations to create jobs and provide psychological counselling at the upazila level for youths suffering from depression.

Locals said, despite the crisis, Jhenaidah has significant potential for agro-based industrialisation. The district is a major producer of flowers, bananas, rice, vegetables and milk. However, the lack of adequate cold storage, food-processing facilities and agro-based industries forces farmers to sell their produce at lower prices while limiting opportunities for local employment.

Local youths and social workers said investment in agro-processing, juice production, dairy plants and small and medium-sized leather and textile industries could create thousands of jobs. They also called for greater emphasis on IT and technical education alongside conventional academic programmes to improve young people's employability.

M Shahjahan Ali, director of Jhenaidah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said unemployment was increasing and the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) industrial estate in the district needed to be modernised.

“The BSCIC industrial city needs to be made more modern and entrepreneur-friendly. If the government provides special incentives and infrastructure facilities, major private investors will come forward,” he said.
Jhenaidah Civil Surgeon Dr Md Kamruzzaman said unemployment was a major problem in the district, while adding that some residents also had a tendency to react emotionally and lacked patience. Bilkis Afroz, deputy director of the Jhenaidah Youth Development Department, said the department was providing technical and practical training to unemployed and educated youths to make them self-reliant.

“However, as there are not enough industries and private institutions in the district, a large portion of the trained youths remain unemployed,” she said.

She urged private entrepreneurs and major investors to come forward alongside government initiatives.