Bangladesh Government Plans Tk 683 Crore Freelancing Training for 51,000 Youth

Dhaka, August 23, 2026 — The Bangladesh government has taken up a Tk 683 crore project to provide freelancing training to more than 51,000 unemployed and job-seeking youths across 13 metropolitan cities, aiming to create employment opportunities and foster new entrepreneurs in the digital economy. The Department of Youth Development has prepared the Development Project Proposal, titled "Creating Employment through Freelancing Training for Unemployed Youths in All Metropolitan Cities."

📊 Project Overview

• 💰 Budget: Tk 683 crore
• 👥 Target trainees: 51,000+ unemployed youths
• 📅 Duration: 1 July 2026 — 30 June 2031 (5 years)
• 🌐 Target cities: 13 metropolitan cities
• 💼 Expected earning rate: 60-70% of trainees earning within 3-6 months
• 👩 Female participation target: 30-40%
• 📅 Course duration: 3 months (basic + advanced levels)
• 📉 Dropout rate target: Below 20%

The proposed project has been sent to the Planning Commission for approval. Under the initiative, young men and women will receive demand-driven freelancing training to help them earn income from both domestic and international online marketplaces.

🌐 The 13 Target Cities

The project will cover the following metropolitan cities, which are major centres of economic activity and employment:

• Dhaka North, Dhaka South, Chattogram, Gazipur, Narayanganj
• Khulna, Rajshahi, Bogura, Sylhet, Rangpur
• Barishal, Cumilla, Mymensingh

These cities host young people from almost every district of the country. "Students and young people from different districts come to live in cities such as Dhaka, Chattogram and Rajshahi. So, providing training in these cities will make the initiative more effective," said Priyasindhu Talukder, Director (Training) of the Department of Youth Development.

💼 Training Curriculum

The training will cover practical skills needed for freelancing success:

• 🌐 Online marketplaces — working on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer
• 📄 Professional profiles and portfolios — creating compelling online presence
• 💬 Bidding for jobs — strategies for winning projects
• 📞 Client communication — managing international client relationships
• 📁 Assignment management — delivering quality work on time

Participants will receive certificates, job linkages, mentorship, and follow-up support. Where necessary, trainees will also receive technological assistance, including laptops or other equipment, enabling them to start working immediately after completing training. The project also plans to develop a strong network of freelancers, allowing experienced workers to support newcomers.

👥 Demographic Dividend and Digital Employment

The project document highlights Bangladesh's demographic dividend, with a large share of its population in the working-age group. However, this opportunity is time-bound and may begin to decline between 2033 and 2040, according to experts. It is therefore essential to turn the country's large youth population into skilled human resources before the demographic dividend fades.

According to the latest Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Labour Force Survey, the country's unemployment rate is around 4.63%, with the number of unemployed people estimated at 2.7-2.74 million. A significant portion of the unemployed are young people.

Meanwhile, the global gig economy and freelancing market is estimated at around $455 billion and continues to expand, with strong demand for services such as graphic design, digital marketing, web development, content creation, and data processing.

🌐 Competitive Advantage

Priyasindhu Talukder noted that Bangladesh's relatively low cost of living gives its freelancers a competitive advantage, allowing them to offer services at competitive rates to international clients. "Through online work, it is possible to get jobs from both domestic and foreign clients," he said, adding that freelancing also allows Bangladeshi workers to work with foreign clients without needing a visa or passport.

Educational qualifications will not be the primary criterion for selection. Basic computer knowledge and the ability to learn will be more important. The proposed course will run for three months and include two levels — basic and advanced. Trainees who perform well will be promoted to the advanced level.

🌐 Strategic Context for Bangladesh's Export Economy

The Tk 683 crore freelancing project represents a significant investment in Bangladesh's IT/ITeS export sector, which has been identified as a priority area for diversification beyond RMG. The project's focus on 13 metropolitan cities, 30-40% female participation, and 60-70% earning rate target aligns with the BNP government's broader agenda of creating employment through digital skills development.

For Bangladesh's export economy, the growth of a skilled freelancing workforce creates a pipeline for future IT services exports, BPO operations, and tech entrepreneurship — all of which contribute to the country's non-RMG export diversification goals as it approaches LDC graduation in November 2026. The project also complements the government's Tk 60,000 crore stimulus package for struggling industries, which focuses on reviving traditional manufacturing, while this freelancing initiative builds the foundation for a new generation of digital export earners who can bring foreign exchange into Bangladesh without the need for physical factory infrastructure.

The project's 5-year timeline (2026-2031) aligns with the GED's five-year strategic framework that targets 8.5 percent annual GDP growth by 2031. By targeting the demographic dividend before it begins to decline between 2033 and 2040, the government is making a strategic bet that digital skills training can convert Bangladesh's youth bulge into a sustainable source of export earnings — much as the RMG sector converted the country's low-cost labour advantage into a $45+ billion export industry over the preceding four decades. The success of this bet will depend on the quality of training, the strength of the mentorship network, and the ability of the trained freelancers to compete in the increasingly crowded global gig economy.