Beza to start skills training with first batch of 2,000

Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza) will start the skill development program with 2,000 people primarily selected from the affected areas around the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN).

Beza Executive Chairman Shaikh Yusuf Harun said that the training program for 2,000 people will be conducted very soon with priority given to the affected people around Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN). 

"Later, under the Skills Voucher Program, 20,000 people will be trained and employed according to the skilled manpower needs of investors in various economic zones," he said this at the first workshop on "Skill Development for Sustainable Business Management in Economic Zones" at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka on Sunday. 

Beza will develop and employ 22,000 skilled human resources in seven economic zones under the Private Investment and Digital Entrepreneurship (Prid) project.

It was discussed in the workshop that Beza will primarily focus on several industries for developing skilled manpower including garments and garment supporting industries, agro-products, agro-processing, paint and chemical, paper and paper products, integrated textile, plastics, leather and leather products, light engineering (including auto-parts and bicycles), shipbuilding, pharmaceutical products, automobile, power, food and beverage, and solar park. 

The seven economic zones where Beza would provide employment of these skilled workforce are– Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar (BSMSN), Bangladesh Special Economic Zone (Japanese EZ), Private Economic Zone Meghna, Abdul Monem, Bay, Sirajganj and Kishoreganj.

Different government organisations including National Skills Development Authority (NSDA), Bangladesh Technical Education Board will cooperate in this, Yusuf Harun said.

The World Bank has been providing a loan of Tk4,347 crore for the Private Investment and Digital Entrepreneurship project at the country's largest Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar. Human resource development is a part of the project with an estimated cost of around Tk127 crore.

The project started in 2021 with a duration till 2025.