The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed Saturday urged the youth of the country to get ready to take the leadership in the new struggle for nation building.

"I make a clarion call to you all to play a pivotal role in establishing honest, patriotic and people-friendly leadership, good governance and justice," he said while inaugurating the National Youth Day 2008.

Terming the youths as the movers of change and the nation's future guides, the CA said the role of youth is vital in bringing qualitative changes in all sectors, including the family and society and politics.

Fakhruddin said the country's youth community has a record of glorious and courageous history and tradition, and extraordinary contributions to every movement, from the Language Movement to the Liberation War, for establishing democracy apart from their role in tackling natural disasters and providing humanitarian services.

The function was told that one third of Bangladesh's total population is the youth.

Department of Youth Development of Youth and Sport Ministry organized the event at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the morning, marking the Youth Day.

The slogan of this year's Youth Day is 'Jugupojugi Prashikhhan Jubo Bekarotta Nirashan' (Time-Befitting Training for Elimination of Youth Unemployment).

Presided over by Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for Youth and Sports Ministry Mahbub Jamil, the function was addressed, among others, by Secretary of the Ministry Golam Mostofa Talukder on behalf of best self-employed worker Hosnera Akter Lata and Shukur Salek on behalf of the best youth organizer.

Eight male and female youths were adjudged the best self-employed workers and two best youth organizers for the National Youth Award 2008.

The best self-employed workers are M Hasanuzzaman Sarker of Salidha, Narshingdhi, M Saiful Islam of Burichong, Comilla, Mahmuda Begum of Keranipara, Rangpur, Yasmin Nasim of Bagerhat, Rakib Mahmud Talukder of Durgapur, Barishal, M Moyezuddin of Fenchuganj, Sylhet, Hosneara Akter Lata of Pashchim Deowbhog, Narayenganj and Kolnis Chakma of Sukhi Nilganj, Rangamati. The two best youth organizers are Shukur Salek of Hazaribagh, Dhaka and Ferdous Alam of Golapganj, Sylhet.

Each award carries a prize bond of Tk 20,000, a crest and a certificate.

The Chief Adviser distributed the awards among the recipients.

Expressing her feelings after winning the award and the experiences of her struggle in becoming a self-employed woman, Hosneara said she started her journey of struggle taking the responsibility of their seven-member family after the death of her day-labourer father.

She said she had to face various obstacles as well as negative criticisms from her relatives when she started searching means of earning. "Defying those barriers, I attended a short training course on dressmaking at Youth Training Center in 2001 and started seeing the ray of hope," she told the function.

Hosneara said she set up Shoshi Handicraft project with a loan of Tk 25,000 taken from Youth Development, Narayanganj.

Hosneara, a successful small entrepreneur, told the function that she now earns Tk 2 lakh a month and over 1,000 women have so far received training from her institution and presently 250 women are receiving training from it.

She advised the youth, both men and women, not to waste their valuable time just looking for jobs and get self-employed taking different occupational trainings.

Advisers, Special Assistants to CA, young men and women from different organizations and youth organizers were present at the function.

Addressing the function, the CA said there is no alternative to involvement of youths for overall socio-economic development of the country and changing the fate of the people.

"The youth, the future policymakers and leaders, will have to be engaged in nation-building activities. So arrangements for good education and proper training have to be ensured alongside giving them proper guidelines," he said.

The CA said a well-organized youth community capable of establishing truth inspired with humanitarian service is today's expectation of all. All will have to put meaningful contributions from their respective positions to fulfill the aspiration.

Emphasizing the need for training and specialization, Dr Fakhruddin asked for recasting training programmes giving priority to technical, specialized education and training.

He said it has become imperative today to specifically identify which country has what kind of labour market and what type of demand for profession and workforce through intensive surveys and studies.

Describing this year's theme of the National Youth Day as very meaningful and appropriate, he said there is a serious shortage of skilled manpower in the country's industries, factories and specialized professions due to lack of necessary training and education.

Mentioning various government steps and efforts for grooming skilled manpower through updated training programmes in line with demand and the standard of labour market by involving private sector, the CA said he believes that the country will be able to generate employments for the labour market both at home and aboard through these activities.

Earlier, the CA opened the National Youth Day 2008 by hoisting national flag and releasing pigeons in the air.