The 40th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination has just taken place. Congratulations to all the applicants who have managed to qualify for BCS preliminary examination. Not all the fresh graduates in Bangladesh get the opportunity to qualify for the preliminary examination. So, the candidates who have successfully crossed that hurdle deserve felicitation. But simultaneously, there is a need for sympathising with the more than 99 per cent of the examinees who wouldn't make it to the grade at the end of the day, because around 330,000 applicants took part this year for only 1903 vacant positions. On September 11 last year, BPSC (Bangladesh Public Service Commission) issued a circular for the 40th BCS examination to fill 1,903 vacant posts of general, technical and professional cadres.
The challenge in our job market is, on the one hand, scarcity of jobs for educated youths and on the other, the increasing number of graduates. So, because of the disproportionate ratio between available jobs and job-seekers, unemployment in the country is taking a critical shape. It is high time we started thinking how to handle this situation as millions of unemployed graduates are desperately in need of jobs. There are a couple of things that should be taken care of.
First, our attitude towards jobs has to change and we have to make our millions of job-seekers understand that any job is good to get started. So, we should convey the message to youths that their foremost task would be to grab any opportunity that may come their way for a start to their professional life. Secondly, the government can create the spirit of entrepreneurship among these millions of fresh graduates and inspire them to start small businesses by offering them small loan and providing other necessary helps. This is already in practice in a small way. What is needed is to do this on a larger scale so that millions of youngsters can benefit from it.
A country which is blessed with 170 million people need not ask for any help to anyone in the world provided it can turn its huge population into human resources. What is needed is a realistic and visionary strategy and its quick implementation. It is said that a journey of thousand mile starts with a single step. We need to take that step.
Zia Hasan is ESL Teacher, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
