The government has taken up a Tk683 crore project to provide freelancing training to more than 51,000 unemployed and job-seeking youths in 13 metropolitan cities, aiming to create employment opportunities and foster new entrepreneurs.

The Department of Youth Development has prepared a Development Project Proposal “Creating Employment through Freelancing Training for Unemployed Youths in All Metropolitan Cities.”

Under the proposed project, which has already been sent to the Planning Commission for approval and will run from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2031, young men and women will receive demand-driven freelancing training to help them earn income from both domestic and international markets.

According to the proposal, the initiative aims to reduce unemployment in metropolitan areas and increase young people’s self-reliance by equipping them with the skills needed to work on international and local online marketplaces.

At least 60-70% of trainees are expected to engage in income-generating activities after completing the training.

The training will cover practical skills such as working on online marketplaces, creating professional profiles and portfolios, bidding for jobs, communicating with clients and managing assignments. The target is for trainees to start earning within three to six months of completing the course.

Participants will receive certificates, job linkages, mentorship and follow-up support to help them establish sustainable careers. The project aims to keep the dropout rate below 20%.

Where necessary, trainees will also receive technological assistance, including laptops or other equipment, enabling them to start working immediately after completing their training.

The project also plans to develop a strong network of freelancers in the long term, allowing experienced workers to support newcomers and helping create a sustainable digital employment ecosystem.

Low-income and marginalised youths and women will receive priority under the project, with a target of ensuring 30-40% female participation.

A functional freelancing model will first be developed in Dhaka city, which could later be replicated in other cities and districts.

Priyasindhu Talukder, director (Training) of the Department of Youth Development, said the domestic job market has limited opportunities, while freelancing gives young people access to the global market.

“Through online work, it is possible to get jobs from both domestic and foreign clients,” he said.

The director said Bangladesh’s relatively low cost of living gives its freelancers a competitive advantage, allowing them to offer services at competitive rates to international clients.

“For this reason, the government is giving special importance to freelancing training at the city corporation level,” he said, adding that metropolitan areas host young people from almost every district of the country.

“Students and young people from different districts come to live in cities such as Dhaka, Chattogram and Rajshahi. So, providing training in these cities will make the initiative more effective,” he added.

According to Talukder, freelancing training is not a new initiative of the government. The programme initially started in 16 districts, was gradually expanded to 48 districts and is now available in all 64 districts.

He said freelancing also allows Bangladeshi workers to work with foreign clients without needing a visa or passport, making the initiative particularly relevant.

Educational qualifications will not be the primary criterion for selection, he said. Basic computer knowledge and the ability to learn will be more important.

The proposed course will generally run for three months and include two levels, basic and advanced. Trainees who perform well will be promoted to the advanced level.

However, training alone will not guarantee success, Talukder said, stressing that participants must have interest, concentration and dedication to succeed.

The project document says Bangladesh is currently benefiting from a demographic dividend, with a large share of its population in the working-age group. But the opportunity is time-bound and may begin to decline between 2033 and 2040, according to experts.

It is therefore essential to turn the country’s large youth population into skilled human resources before the demographic dividend fades, the document says.

According to the latest Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Labour Force Survey, the country’s unemployment rate is around 4.63%, with the number of unemployed people estimated at 2.7-2.74 million. A significant portion of the unemployed are young people.

Meanwhile, the global economy is rapidly moving towards digital employment. The global gig economy and freelancing market is estimated at around $455 billion and continues to expand, with strong demand for services such as graphic design, digital marketing, web development, content creation and data processing.

The 13 metropolitan cities covered by the project are Dhaka North, Dhaka South, Chattogram, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Khulna, Rajshahi, Bogura, Sylhet, Rangpur, Barishal, Cumilla and Mymensingh.

These cities are major centres of economic activity and employment, and the project seeks to leverage their concentration of young people to expand access to digital employment.