‘Govt facing challenges due to damaged institutions’

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Sunday that the government is facing significant challenges in serving the people because of a fragile economy and weakened institutional structures inherited from the previous administration.

Speaking as the chief guest at a fresher orientation programme at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU) in Dhaka, he said the government was working to rebuild the country by overcoming multiple crises.

“Our primary objective is to reconstruct the fragile economy and restore the country’s institutional and social order,” he said, adding that the economic foundations had been severely damaged during the previous 15 years under what he described as a “fascist government”.

Fakhrul said Bangladesh has around 40 million educated unemployed young people, with 500,000 to 600,000 applications often being submitted for a single job.

“This problem cannot be solved overnight. We must restructure our system through proper planning and develop a skilled workforce capable of contributing to the economy. The government is giving this the highest priority,” he said.

He identified food security as another major challenge and stressed the need for greater investment in agricultural research.

Encouraging students to pursue entrepreneurship rather than relying on government employment, Fakhrul said agriculture graduates should create jobs by establishing agribusinesses, agro-based industries and technology-driven ventures. Describing agricultural students as those “closest to the country’s soil”, he said the sector offers enormous potential for employment generation and economic growth if more young people come forward as entrepreneurs.

He also said students would face considerable challenges as the country continues its reconstruction efforts while unemployment remains high. To help address the problem, the government is establishing agricultural hubs in the northern and southern regions of the country. Fakhrul noted that some people had started criticising the government before it had completed five months in office despite inheriting multiple crises.

“There are serious shortages of gas, oil and energy. The US-Iran conflict has further intensified the global energy crisis,” he said, adding that the government was promoting green energy to benefit farmers.

Speaking at the programme, Prime Minister’s Education Adviser Dr Mahdi Amin said SAU had made significant contributions to increasing agricultural production and advancing agricultural research. 

He expressed hope that the newly admitted students would help strengthen the country’s food security and build a self-reliant Bangladesh.

SAU Vice-Chancellor Dr Md Abdul Latif chaired the programme. Among others present were Madaripur-3 MP Anisur Rahman and reserved-seat MP Sanjida Islam Tulsi.