The nation’s youth are growing up immersed in information technology and have already sparked a digital revolution through the use of digital tools. In this context, the idea of teaching digital literacy to the youth seems irrelevant. Yet, massive amounts of money have been wasted and embezzled under the pretense of teaching digital literacy and providing employment to the youth. To truly ensure the empowerment of women and youth in this country, government actions need to change. New steps must be taken based on various factors such as urban-rural divides, age differences, and varying skill levels.

Speakers at a roundtable discussion yesterday on ‘The Use of Technology in Empowering Women and Youth: Our Preparations and Way Forward’ expressed this sentiment. The event was jointly organized by the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Bonik Barta at the BDBL Building in Karwan Bazar, Bonik Barta’s headquarters.

Shish Haider Chowdhury, Secretary of the Information and Communication Technology Division, was the honored guest at the event. He stated, “It’s concerning that we have to discuss this 55 years after the birth of our nation. We’ve stepped onto the superhighway. But we need to consider if we are adapting to the updated versions that come with it; and if we are reducing the digital divide.”

He further commented, “Our Info-Sarker Phase-1 and 2 programs were relatively successful, but by the time we reached Info Sarker Phase-3, the situation had deteriorated beyond words. Fiber@Home and Summit were brought into the fold for infrastructure development, resulting in tasks that should have cost BDT 1 not being completed even for BDT 5.”

Md. Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, pointed out, “In Singapore, per capita internet use is 555 Kbps, while in Bangladesh, it’s only 0.5 Kbps. This is the digital divide we must address. The problem is, we prioritize politicization over professionalism in the tech sector. The government must provide space for those who want to work professionally. The youth must be incorporated here. We need to assess the needs of the youth and understand what they want.”

Dr. Gazi Md. Saifuzzaman, Director General of the Department of Youth Development, mentioned, “Every year, we bring approximately 300,000 people into training programs, with an additional 100,000 to 200,000 through other projects. Through our ongoing infrastructure projects, we aim to train 900,000 people over three years, with 300,000 trained annually. Beyond this, the Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET (EARN) program will train an additional 900,000 youths. In total, the Department of Youth Development will cover about 2 million people from a population of 18.2 million youths. However, to achieve the desired development, we must consider the entire population.”

Fahim Mashroor, CEO of Bdjobs.com, said, “There’s been a lot of talk about digital literacy. Our youth are growing up surrounded by information technology. The idea of teaching them digital literacy is a major misconception. Our youth have already initiated a revolution using digital tools, and now we’re talking about teaching them how to use technology. There’s no justification for wasting millions of government funds under the guise of digital literacy.”

According to Fahim Mashroor, “The problem here is that digital platforms are being used in unproductive and destructive areas of the economy. Youth are getting involved in online betting, yet we don’t seem to care. The government attempted to stop this through the police, which is never feasible. Our proposal is that since these transactions are happening through mobile finance and banking, the BFIU (Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit) could stop it if they wanted to.”

Umama Fatema, coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said, “The government needs to have a clear vision of where they want to see the youth in the next 20 years. Without that clarity, no matter how much input is given, there will be no results. When ride-sharing apps like Uber and Pathao entered the market, the government failed to create proper policies. Instead, they suddenly imposed VAT, which led these platforms to cut off app calls and start charging fares manually. When something new comes along, the government doesn’t seem to know what to do, causing a disconnect between the youth and the government.”

Shams Mahmud, Managing Director of Shasha Denims and Director of BGMEA, said, “Technology has brought many opportunities here. During COVID-19, many women workers in the garment industry left for their villages, starting farms or boutiques. They need training to run micro-businesses, which would ensure their empowerment. However, there is no such opportunity for them.”

Tapas Kumar Pal, Assistant Professor in the Economics Department at North South University, commented, “There are numerous opportunities for economic liberation, job creation, and revenue generation. Outsourcing is a major sector. However, we don’t have any formal statistics on this. The BBS (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics) could work in this area. We need to think about how the government can bring this within the GDP framework and explore further possibilities. Various statistics show that 30 percent of our economy is still not reflected in the GDP. The main issue is formalizing informal activities. Additionally, we need to discuss how to provide employment for our educated unemployed population.”

Fairooz Mubasheera, a student in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at BUET, said, “Women are often reluctant to enter the fields of engineering and technology. There’s a belief in our society that women cannot excel in engineering, leading to fewer female students in engineering universities compared to males. Gender roles play a part in this, as parents and guardians instill such thoughts in their children. Those of us in engineering universities must raise awareness and expand their reach across different parts of society to break this notion.”

Fahim Ahmed, Managing Director and CEO of Pathao Limited, noted, “Our internet costs are high, and the quality is very poor, which results in low data consumption. There are several reasons for this, including complex telecom regulations, multiple layers of unnecessary licensing, and a large tax structure. We impose excessive taxes on cigarettes, and the same amount is levied on telecoms. The telecom pricing system prioritizes voice over data. Without addressing these issues, technology will never become affordable, and people will not use it.”

Waseem Alim, Founder and CEO of Chaldal.com, remarked, “Our youth are working, but they are not getting investments. Why not? Sixty billion dollars have vanished in the banking sector. We keep investing without thinking, but we are not investing in areas that can create new jobs. We need to experiment and be bolder here.”

Shariful Hasnine Sabuj, Manager of the Data and Analytics Team at PricewaterhouseCoopers Bangladesh Private Limited, stated, “One of the main reasons for the lack of interest in technology in Bangladesh is the cost of data, the inability of rural people, and the focus on employment planning solely in urban areas. The discussions around newly introduced technologies are mainly led by urban youth, while rural youth are unaware of these topics. This lack of awareness is largely due to the poor internet connectivity in rural areas, and the high cost of digital accessories. Due to these high costs, rural people cannot operate activities through the internet.”

Shaheen Siam, Director of Strategy at ShopUp, mentioned, “After the July-August movement, our Gen Z generation is extremely motivated. Now, they need our guidance, which will help take them far.”

Maliha Iqbal, Head of Partnership and Program at Youth Opportunities, said, “Our purchasing power for internet and smartphones has increased. However, the disparity between urban and rural areas, as well as between men and women in internet usage, still exists. We need to identify methods to reduce this gap. We often talk about digital literacy, but we should consider whether the same training is required for both urban and rural youth when designing programs.”

Rifat Zabin Khan, Fellow at Globesight, added, “Due to the lack of an appropriate referral mechanism in Bangladesh’s healthcare sector, healthcare is not accessible at the upazila and district levels. Under the universal health coverage, health rights are a significant focus for us. To strengthen this, an inclusive environment across all sectors must be ensured. A strong infrastructure cannot be built by just one institution.”

Kazi Faisal Bin Seraj, Country Representative for The Asia Foundation in Bangladesh, noted, “During COVID-19, many incentives were provided to women entrepreneurs, but the achievements were minimal. Therefore, we need to rethink policy-making. Along with empowerment, digital security is also crucial. Cybersecurity issues exist, and since we are trying to bring more youth and women into the digital economy, we must also think about how women can safely do business in the digital world.”

In her speech as the Chairperson, Dr. Fahmida Khatun, Executive Director of CPD, said, “We are living in an era of technology, where it is necessary to create employment and skill development through technology. This can help bring marginalized communities into the mainstream. The average age of our youth is 27 years, but the unemployment rate among them is very high. Nationally, the average unemployment rate is about 3.2 percent, but the figure is much higher among the youth. This large youth population is neither employed, nor in education or training. We must bring them into the labor market.”

In his welcome address, Dewan Hanif Mahmud, Publisher and Editor of Bonik Barta, stated, “The greatest strength of this generation is that they are empowered by technology. More job opportunities will arise from the participation of youth and women in technology. We must consider how to create these opportunities for them.”


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