On the occasion of National and International Youth Day 2025, Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain spoke at a city hotel today. Photo: PID

DHAKA, Aug 12, 2025 (BSS) – A total of 16 individuals were given the National Youth Award 2025, including 12 in the category of successful self-employment and 4 in the category of youth organizers.

Adviser the Ministries of Youth and Sports and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain handed over the awards to the winners today in a city hotel on the occasion of National and International Youth Day 2025.

This year’s Youth Day is being celebrated under the theme: “Youth Advancing Multilateral Cooperation, Through Technology and Partnership.”

Extending greetings on the National and International Youth Day, Asif Mahmud said that the youth of Bangladesh will play the most significant role in realizing the dream of building a new Bangladesh based on equality, civic dignity, justice, democracy, and prosperity. He emphasized that technology will be the driving force in achieving this goal.

The adviser said that several key initiatives have been undertaken to develop the technology sector, including exploring and developing the semiconductor industry, reducing internet costs, building modern ICT infrastructure, creating a startup ecosystem, and focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies.

He also mentioned that e-sports have recently been officially recognized, and work is progressing rapidly to establish the necessary legal framework for the growth of the country’s e-sports sector.

The adviser said that approximately 63 percent of Bangladesh’s total population is under the age of 35, making youth the country’s greatest asset and strength. Recognizing this reality, the government is implementing various programmes to enhance youth development through training, loans, and technological skill-building, he said.

He added that since the establishment of the directorate, up to June 2025, nearly 7.4 million young men and women have received training in 83 trades across 64 district offices, 70 training centers, and 501 upazilas. Under various loan programmes, nearly 1.1 million youths have received loans totaling over Tk 2,700 crore.

The adviser highlighted several government projects aimed at youth welfare, including the Impact Project for biogas plant installation training, mobile ICT training, freelancing training programmes, and vehicle driving training initiatives.

He said that under the EARN (Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET – Not in Education, Employment, or Training) project, 900,000 young men and women will receive skill development training.

He further stated that initiatives are also underway to enhance skills in artificial intelligence and automation. Additionally, a training-based self-employment project for those injured in the July mass uprising and for families of martyrs is set to launch soon, he added.

With Youth and Sports Secretary Md. Mahbub-ul-Alam in the chair, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges and Ministry of Railways Dr Sheik Moinuddin and Director General of the Department of Youth Development Dr Gazi Saifuzzaman also spoke.