FROM PAGE B1

Training programmes currently cover only 3.64 percent of the 55 lakh economically inactive young people, severely limiting potential impact.

The government’s plan to expand substance abuse treatment will provide just 1,679 beds, a fraction of the 83 lakh affected individuals. Similarly, counselling and rehabilitation for online gambling remain almost non-existent.

This scale mismatch is further compounded by fragmentation. Multiple agencies run programmes with limited coordination, unclear accountability, and weak monitoring and evaluation. The absence of systematic tracking makes it difficult to measure success or cost-effectiveness, reducing the overall impact of youth development initiatives.

Selim Raihan, an economics professor at Dhaka University, backed the government report on youth unemployment and its contribution to social risks.

“Yes, employed youth can also contribute to social risks, but those without work, income, or stable jobs are far more vulnerable,” he said. “Their frustration increases exposure to issues like drug use, social instability, and even extremism.”

He added that many young people who have completed their education but are unable to enter the job market experience a prolonged “gap period,” during which they are particularly susceptible to these risks.