Tk 2.39b skill dev projects proposed for Rohingya host communities

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has proposed two skill-development projects worth Tk 2.39 billion with support from the New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS countries, aiming to generate employment for youths from Rohingya host communities in Cox's Bazar and across the Chattogram division, officials said.

The initiatives will provide training in 13 trades to around 30,000 unemployed youths affected by the prolonged influx of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs), according to sources.

The ministry recently submitted preliminary development project proposals (PDPPs) to the planning ministry for implementation by the Department of Youth Development (DYD). The Cox's Bazar project is scheduled to begin next year, while the Chattogram division-wide project will run through 2029.

The Cox's Bazar project, titled "Creating Employment Opportunities of the Youth of Host Community Affected by FDMN in Cox's Bazar through Skills Training", has an estimated cost of Tk 1.07 billion, with Tk 800 million (75 per cent) earmarked for training 12,150 youths.

It also includes awareness programmes on drug abuse and human trafficking, alongside sports and motivational activities to discourage anti-social behaviour.

The Chattogram division project, "Skill Development and Employment Generation for Youth of Host Community under Chattogram Division", is estimated at Tk 1.32 billion, with Tk 1.23 billion (over 93 per cent) allocated to train around 20,000 youths across the division.

Priority training trades include agro-processing and marketing, fisheries, tourism-related services, freelancing, and basic technical skills. The package covers cow and poultry rearing, freelancing, tourism services, language training, welding, electrical and house wiring, refrigeration and air-conditioning repair, electronics and mobile phone servicing, fish and fruit drying and packaging, and automobile maintenance.

Officials said the projects aim to restore livelihoods, expand self-employment opportunities, and strengthen social cohesion in host communities facing rising unemployment, income losses, and labour market pressures due to the Rohingya influx.

An Economic Relations Division (ERD) official said the NDB has consented to provide loan support for implementation, with detailed negotiations to follow the projects' appraisal process.

The PDPPs note that host communities in Cox's Bazar face mounting socio-economic stress from declining tourism, environmental degradation, limited access to training facilities, and restricted mobility, particularly for women and youth.

The Chattogram division-wide project aligns with the government's skills development agenda under the National Youth Policy 2017, which prioritises reducing the number of NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) youths. It also complements the ongoing Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET (EARN) programme, implemented with World Bank support, by covering upazilas not included under that project.

Feasibility studies for both projects have been completed, and officials expect these initiatives to create employment, promote youth entrepreneurship, and ensure long-term social stability in Rohingya-affected host communities.

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