Dhaka, Aug. 17, 2025 — One year after Bangladesh’s student-led uprising toppled the Awami League government, expectations of sweeping reforms in employment have turned into bitter disappointment. Despite promises of a fairer job market without quotas, unemployment has worsened, leaving millions of young graduates disillusioned.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the number of unemployed people rose from 2.55 million in 2023 to 2.7 million in 2024. The unemployment rate increased to 3.65 percent at the end of December 2024. At the same time, the labor force stood at nearly 59 million, with male workers dominating the workforce.
The industrial workforce has been shrinking for a decade. In 2013, 12.1 million people were employed in industry; in 2024, that figure had fallen to 12 million. Overseas employment, long a safety valve for Bangladesh’s job market, also dropped by 22 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year, with only 1 million workers leaving abroad.
Business violence and economic drag
Across Bangladesh, businessmen and industrialists aligned with the Awami League have come under systematic attack, allegedly under the protection of the current government. Reports say widespread extortion, looting, and arson have targeted homes, businesses, and factories linked to Awami League leaders and activists. Several large industrial establishments have also been set ablaze.
One of the most shocking incidents followed the arrest of Golam Dastagir Gazi, owner of the leading Gazi Group. Supporters of Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus’s interim government allegedly looted and torched his establishments, leaving many dead. Similar cases of violence have been reported across the country.
Multiple industrialists have been detained, while countless small, medium, and large investors live in fear of mob attacks, extortion, and harassment by police. Many have already fled abroad to save their lives.
Jane Alam Apu, a leader of the anti-discrimination student movement, released a viral video message accusing interim government advisors and senior police officials of direct involvement. He alleged that under the supervision of government advisor Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, and with the cooperation of law enforcement agencies, organized extortion and mob terrorism were carried out nationwide.
Over the past year, such oppression has forced many factories to shut down, leading to widespread job losses and shrinking trade. Analysts warn that this has created a severe drag on Bangladesh’s overall economy.
“What after graduation?”
Students say uncertainty dominates career discussions. “When we sit for tea, almost every conversation ends with the question: what will you do after graduation?” said Mahbub Pias, a Dhaka University journalism student. “Some want to go abroad, others try for government jobs despite low pay, while many just want any job at all.”
Economists warn that policy failures and a mismatch between education and industry have created a structural crisis. “Every year, 2.5 million graduates enter the job market, but there are opportunities for barely half of them,” said Dr. Muhammad Sahadat Hossain Siddiqui, an economics professor at Dhaka University. “Weak private investment, capital flight, and poor governance are holding back job creation.”
Rising costs, stagnant wages
Government salary structures, especially in grades 11–20, are insufficient to keep up with skyrocketing inflation, students and workers say. “The market is out of control. Prices rise every week. Even a 20,000 taka salary is barely enough,” said Rajshahi University student Sukumar Podder.
Professor Nurul Momen, director of Rajshahi University’s Career Counseling and Development Center, called the situation “alarming.” “Graduates spend years studying only to end up in jobs with salaries so low that living a modest life is a challenge. Pay structures have not kept up with living standards,” he said.
Manufacturing strain, export headwinds
Beyond macro softness, sectoral shocks bite. Trade sources and union trackers estimate tens of thousands of apparel workers have been affected by factory closures and layoffs since late-2024; BGMEA has sought loss data as unrest and policy changes hit orders.
External pressure is mounting: the U.S. tariff hike on Bangladeshi apparel has clouded demand in the country’s biggest market, prompting warnings of job losses across a 4-million-strong workforce.
Migration, remittances and a narrowing cushion
Remittances surged in late-2024/early-FY25 — a rare bright spot — with USD 7.23bn in Oct–Dec FY25 (up 10.6% q/q; +22.8% y/y in Dec), according to Bangladesh Bank’s record. But fewer departures in 2024 shrink the pipeline for future flows.
Reform tailwinds — and limits
Bangladesh and the IMF reached a staff-level deal to release about $1.3bn this year, tied to exchange-rate and revenue reforms; the aim is to stabilize macro-fundamentals to revive investment and jobs.
Economists caution reforms need time to filter into hiring; without a credible skills push (TVET, apprenticeships, digital and green jobs) and faster private investment, the class of 2026 may inherit today’s queue.
Growing frustration among youth
Bangladesh sends 1 million workers abroad annually, but for those left behind, the domestic job market is bleak. “The combination of high inflation, weak governance, and shrinking employment is pushing youth toward despair,” Siddiqui warned.
The hopes that fueled the 2024 uprising — a fairer system, more opportunities, and an end to corruption — remain unmet. Instead, young Bangladeshis face a harsher reality: a job market in crisis.
