Bangladeshi graduates will now have the opportunity to intern at government offices, according to a new policy announced by the government on 22 October.
A circular was issued by the Finance Division in this regard on Tuesday.
The policy is aimed at giving graduates practical experience in the working world and helping them develop the skills they need to enter the workforce.
Under the policy, all government, semi-government, autonomous, and state-owned enterprises will be required to offer internship opportunities to qualified graduates. The length of the internship will be between three and six months, and the amount of the stipend will be determined by the government.
Mohammed Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury, senior secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration, told The Business Standard that the new internship policy was designed to give future employees an idea of how government institutions operate. “Even if interns do not join government institutions in the future, they will be aware of how they operate. This will make it easier for coordination between the public and private sectors. Therefore, interns will be given more opportunities to participate in government policy initiatives and development programmes,” he added.
A senior official at the Ministry of Public Administration said that all government, semi-government, autonomous, and state-owned enterprises will be required to offer internship opportunities to qualified graduates. However, the number of interns each institution will accept each year will be determined by the institution based on its field of work.
Private industry and commercial enterprises do offer internship opportunities, but these are on a discretionary basis.
Appreciating the initiative, Md Fazlul Hoque, a former president of the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation, told TBS that human resource development is the most important thing at this time. However, he stressed that the process of including graduates in internships must be made easier.
Fazlul Hoque said that there should be no rules that are only on paper but not in practice. He said that private sector industrial and commercial enterprises do offer internship opportunities, but these are offered by the respective institutions according to their convenience. “The government has now made a policy. The private sector is sure to come forward in a more structured way.” However, the government must work together with the private sector in this regard, he stated.
How it will work
From now on, government agencies will publish advertisements for internship recruitment. The advertisement will include the location, number, duration, stipend, and selection process of the internship. Interns will be selected on the basis of merit. However, preference will be given to females, minorities, and persons with disabilities.
Bangladeshi citizens who have at least a bachelor’s degree will be eligible to apply. Applicants must have graduated within two years of earning their bachelor’s, master’s, or equivalent degree. A candidate will only have one opportunity to intern at a government office. In special circumstances (illness, personal problems), the internship authorities may grant a maximum of two months of leave, subject to proof. However, no stipend will be paid during the leave period.
However, internships will not be offered for any work in law enforcement agencies, including military, civilian, and paramilitary, security agencies, intelligence agencies, government-declared key point installations, and any work that could disrupt the security of the state.
Every year, 4–5 million students graduate from universities in Bangladesh. The 2022 labour force survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) found that 12% of the educated are unemployed. After graduation, job seekers want to do internships. But not everyone gets that opportunity.
The policy to be applied to private entities too
This policy will also be applied to private industrial and commercial enterprises. In this case, private sector enterprises will develop appropriate internship policies under the supervision of the ministry concerned. Private enterprises will determine the stipend, duration of internship, and other matters through their policies. In this regard, top business organisations like the FBCCI and other sector-based top local business organisations will take necessary measures for internships.
Private companies in Bangladesh also offer internships. However, this is less than the demand. Various companies publish advertisements inviting applications for internships on their websites. In addition, information about internships offered by companies is available at job fairs and online job portals. However, most interns are hired through acquaintances. However, all companies do not pay stipends to interns.