Fresh graduates stare at bleak future

Life is not easy for Mamunur Rashid, a fresh graduate of History from Dhaka University, who is now preparing for government job exams. With his university days behind him, he can no longer enjoy the comforts of university dormitories and has settled into a mess in the Chankharpool area.

But while he is trying to concentrate on his studies to secure a job as soon as possible, he is also spending a good deal of money to pay for his expenses, such as mess rent, food, books and stationary, among other things. To maintain such expenditure, he offers tuition services, but at the end of the month, the income from tutoring falls significantly short of the minimum he needs to live a modest life. 

"The recent wave of inflation and price hike has made the prospect of surviving in Dhaka nearly impossible for unemployed people like us. With the price of everything on the rise, it has gotten to the point that I have to borrow at least Tk2,000-3,000 from my friends every month, as taking financial help from my family is no more a viable choice," said Rashid. 

Needless to say, price hike and lack of employment opportunities are considered among the major reasons why many people believe the country's economy is heading in the wrong direction, according to the recently published report of a survey titled "The State of Bangladesh's Political Governance, Development and Society," jointly conducted by The Asia Foundation, Bangladesh, and the Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD).

As per the report, 70% respondents in 2022 said the country's economy is heading in the wrong direction. Of them, 84% cited high price of products as the key reason, while other frequently used reasons included lack of employment opportunities (16%), less pay compared to workload (10%) and scarcity of decent employment opportunities (8%). 

According to BBS' count, there were only 25 lakh unemployed people in Bangladesh in the April-June quarter. 

Public perception and estimates by other organisations paint a harsher picture though. 

According to a report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in January this year, Around 35 lakh people in Bangladesh would remain unemployed in 2023, surpassing the pre-pandemic level by 4 lakh, necessitating prudent government policy interventions.

In August last year, ILO also noted that the youth (15-24 years) unemployment rate stood at 10.6%, more than twice the overall national unemployment rate of 4.2% at that time. In contrast, Bangladesh's youth unemployment rate in 2022 was 12.9, according to World Bank data. 

Studies say over 22 lakh youths in the country are entering the job markets every year and one-third of them are university graduates.

The more disheartening matter is that there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel as of now, as there is a backlog of BCS enrolment, the gateway to the civil service, diminishing hopes of university graduates qualifying for a few thousand cadre posts routinely opened every year.

Going from getting circulars, to facing preliminary and written exams, and facing the viva boards, a student embarks on a marathon of at least three years to complete a single BCS examination cycle. Recently, the final results of the 41st BCS were unveiled in early August this year. Still, the PSC is juggling three further BCS examinations - the 43rd, 44th, and 45th - each at different stages of their respective cycles. Consequently, numerous candidates find themselves navigating all three  simultaneously. 

This backlog and overlapping examinations are not only impacting individual candidates but also casting a shadow over the entire recruitment process. 

Conversely, the number of vacant government job positions has skyrocketed to an unprecedented 5,00,000 since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The government's sluggishness in hiring personnel to fill these positions, as outlined in the organograms of various public offices, further exacerbates the situation.

"Just last week, someone sent me a job circular from the Directorate General of Food. Before that, I hadn't come across any such job opportunity in the last two-three years where I met the eligibility criteria," informed Prosenjit Das, another recent graduate from a degree programme in Khulna. 

Also, it is a luxury for most recent graduates to focus only on job exam preparations amid the dire economic condition. Fatema Islam, a fresh graduate from Chittagong University, shared that her family's financial condition has become so precarious that she must simultaneously hold down a full-time job while preparing for her exams.

"My family always provided for my expenses when I was a student. But now, at the age of 25, how can I take money from them? Rather they expect some money from me every month. Also I have heard that in the BCS viva board interviews, many candidates are reprimanded if they are not already doing a full-time job," Fatema said. 

But she also added that doing a full-time job is taking a toll on her, and hindering her academic studies. "After doing a job from 10 am to 7 pm, and then getting fresh and finishing household chores, I don't feel like studying even for two hours at night. But now that I must, I spend many sleepless nights." 

As if the situation couldn't get any worse, a recent government move appears to some like rubbing salt on the wound. In August this year, the government decided to impose a 10% VAT on government job applications. As a result, there will be an increase in the overall cost for job applicants across various ministries, departments, directorates, and autonomous organisations.

The VAT will primarily be levied on the service charge (Teletalk Bangladesh's commission), which constitutes 15% of the examination fee. A comparison of the two notifications shows that the duty has not been increased, only VAT has been imposed.

For individuals applying for ninth-grade positions, the application fee will amount to Tk600. This will be augmented by a Telecom Bangladesh service charge of 10% (Tk60) and a VAT charge of 15% on this service charge (Tk9). Consequently, ninth-grade job aspirants will need to pay Tk669 for their applications.

No matter how insignificant it may seem, this didn't sit well with many who are yet to secure a stable source of income.

"At first glance, the newly imposed VAT might appear relatively low. However, it's important to remember that a job seeker typically applies for three to four different grades from each circular. So, cyclically, it will become a financial burden for an unemployed person," Rashid lamented.

The current state of affairs is no brighter for recent graduates in pursuit of employment in the private sector either. As per AKM Fahim Masroor, the chief executive officer and co-founder of Bdjobs, there has been no growth in job postings on their website from June of the previous year to June of this year, all due to the dollar crisis and inflation.

"Rather than expanding, factories are closing down one after another. We fear that advertisements for private sector jobs will take a further nosedive in the upcoming quarter," he expressed.

Due to the existing economic situation, many entrepreneurs are not investing, which further hinders the creation of new employment opportunities, said Mirza Nurul Ghani Shovon, president of the National Association of Small and Cottage Industries of Bangladesh (NASCIB). 

Tanjim Islam (not her real name), a recent graduate with a BBA degree from Jagannath University, revealed that even though she got some job opportunities in Bangladesh, they were brutally underpaid. So, instead of settling for less, she decided to go abroad to pursue higher studies.

"I didn't see a bright future awaiting me back in the country. So I have arrived in the UK," said Tanjim, before adding that she wouldn't come back to Bangladesh unless she gets a lucrative job offer that she cannot refuse.

Meanwhile, Sohrab Hossain, a graduate from a science and technology university, revealed that he is now struggling to get hold of a job after finishing his major in Textile Engineering, highlighting that there are hardly any lucrative job prospects available for graduates like him in the private sector.

"Of the students of the engineering sector graduating from science and technology universities, only CSE students get some privilege. Students of other disciplines don't get much circular, because most organisations demand Buet, Kuet, Ruet, Cuet or Diploma graduates. And even when they acquire a job, the starting salary seldom exceeds Tk20,000," Sohrab said.

The same sentiment was echoed by Russel T Ahmed, the president of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS). According to him, the IT sector is a unique case right now where demand for quality graduates is widely unmet.

Notably, a significant number of young individuals are also diving into the world of online freelancing, making Bangladesh the second-largest source of online workers.

According to Kader Foysal, a CSE graduate from a private university in Dhaka, as soon as they graduated, they received job offers from both software firms and the conglomerates, though the latter offered less salary than the former. 

But there's a catch. To secure a position in top companies, even as a trainee, one must possess strong skills in competitive programming, algorithms, and data structures. Additionally, the starting salary for trainees falls short of expectations. During the initial three to six months, trainees may earn a monthly salary of Tk10,000-15,000, which only increases to Tk25,000-35,000 after becoming permanent employees.

"But the silver lining is that we can significantly boost our income by engaging in freelancing, alongside our regular jobs," he revealed.

But then again, not everyone is as lucky as Foysal, especially those hailing from rural areas. The onset of the coronavirus pandemic ushered in a new era of online learning and opportunities, but individuals from villages found themselves facing unprecedented disparities in comparison to their urban counterparts.

One such victim is Shahriar Emon, also a recent CSE graduate. During the lockdown, most of his friends were developing new skills online, and they are now reaping the rewards of their timely efforts. But having to live in a remote area of the country where network connectivity was a constant challenge during the pandemic, Emon fell behind. 

"Now due to my lack of practical coding skills, I am encountering difficulties in securing a good job or freelancing opportunities," he shared. 

Unfortunately, this deficiency in skills is not limited to jobs in the IT sector, nor did it emerge solely owing to the pandemic. According to Bayezid Khan Rajib, a professional skills coach, the shortfall in skills among recent graduates has deeper and more enduring roots.

According to him, a significant number of job seekers enter the workforce after dedicating a minimum of 17 years to their education, encompassing both their undergraduate and postgraduate studies. However, when they scan through job listings, it becomes evident that the skills required do not necessarily align with the knowledge they acquired in their academic pursuits.

"This disconnect arises because the teaching methods and curricula employed in our country are not in sync with current industry demands," Bayezid explained.

According to the Global Knowledge Index 2022, Bangladesh is ranked 105th out of 132 countries, and due to the poor education system, one in three graduates remain unemployed in the country.

If we take a look at the breakdown of the sectoral indices, Bangladesh's poor educational quality will be more apparent. The country ranks 105th in pre-university education, 87th in technical and vocational education and training, 109th in higher education, 94th in research, development and innovation, 106th in information and communications technology, 92nd in economy, and 119th in enabling environment out of 132 countries. 

The lack of skills and the subsequent failure to secure a job, in effect, is giving birth to depression among the recent graduates, believes Bayezid. Some, in desperation, are even going to the extent of suicide as well. 

On 19 August this year, an ex-Dhaka University student Ritu Karmaker, aged 27, committed suicide by taking pesticide at Azimpur in Dhaka. According to reports, she had long been depressed due to not having a job. Two days later, the hanging body of another Dhaka University student, Manjurul Islam, was also recovered by police from his room of Salimullah Muslim Hall. According to reports, he too had been suffering from an economic crisis and depression for some days.

Instances of student suicide appear to be recurring issues within the country. According to the Aachol Foundation, a youth-led organisation dedicated to promoting mental health and well-being in Bangladesh, there were 361 student suicides from January to August 2023, spanning across school, college, madrasa and university levels. Of them, 47.4% were school students, 25.80% were college students, 8.31% were madrasa students, and 18.80% were university  students.

Also, in 2022, a minimum of 86 students from various universities tragically took their own lives. In 2021, the number of student suicides in universities and higher education institutions reached 101. Additionally, 42 students took their own lives in 2020, 56 in 2019, 11 in 2018, and 19 in 2017.

"University level students are committing suicide due to various reasons. In this case, most of the students suffer from depression due to reasons such as family fights, not being able to get desired results in exams, financial crisis, not getting a job, failure in romance. At one point they chose to commit suicide," said Tansen Rose, the founder-president of Aachol Foundation. 

Remarkably, Bangladesh is far from being the only country to have been hit severely due to the pandemic, Ukraine-Russia war and the subsequent inflation. According to OECD and National Bureau of Statistics of China data, Spain is the country with highest youth unemployment rate (27.4%) in the world, followed by Costa Rica (27.1%), Sweden (24.9%), Greece (23.6%), Italy (21.3%) and China (21.3%). 

On the other hand, countries like Netherlands (8.3%) USA (8%) and Australia (7.8%) have a much better situation, while an even better scenario prevails in some Asian countries such as South Korea (5.4%) and Japan (4.2%). 

Overall, the OECD's youth unemployment rate is slightly over 10%, and G7 nations have an overall youth unemployment rate of 8.7%.