Around 6,500 youths become workforce in Rajshahi city

FE Team | Published: July 12, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

RAJSHAHI, July 11 (BSS): More than 6,500 youths, most of them females, from poor and extreme poor communities, have become worksforce making them self-reliant and contributing to the society in Rajshahi city immensely.
They are now either rendering their services as fulltime workers or apprentices on various trades and vocations like welding, motor mechanics, plumbing, auto electric and embroidery or tailoring, almost everywhere in the metropolis.
"Personally, I'm happy as many of the unemployed people have become social contributors in the city," said Nizam-Ul Azim, Mayor-in-charge of Rajshahi City Corporation.
He said the activities were promoted by the recently concluded Urban Partnership for Poverty Reduction Project (UPPRP), a seven-year anti-poverty scheme funded by UNDP, implemented in the city since July 2008 last.
Mahbubul Alam, UPPRP Town Manager, told BSS that some 5,792 youths including around 4,800 females were given six months apprenticeship training on the need-oriented trades and vocations after attaching them with the factory and shop owners till December last.
Around Tk 52.1 million (Tk 5.21 crore) were spent for the purpose. During the six-month apprenticeship period, each of them were provided Taka 1,500 per month as apprenticeship allowance in addition to some assistance from the shop owners.
"Raziya Sultana, 25, of Dharampur Bazekazla earns around Taka 400-500 per day after making and selling cloth bags for shopping and now she is afoot to divert her long-lasting poverty and hunger," said a local community leader.
Rahima, 30, wife of Rustam Ali of Hetemkha area, told BSS that she received six-month training on tailoring. Now, she has brought solvency in her four-member family as she earns Tk 500-600 per day after operating a sewing machine at present.
Mayor Azim stated that the city area is the home of around 0.8 million (eight lakh) population and around 65,000 households are poor and extreme poor categories who needed special support for uplifting their living and livelihood condition.
So, such type of poverty reduction programme should be expanded more for transforming the poor and extreme poor people into skilled human resources coupled with mainstreaming them as they are more vulnerable towards creating various social crimes.
He said some other government organisations especially Department of Youth Development, Women Affairs, BRDB and Social Service are working for making the unemployed youths into skilled human resources.