President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called for making the best use of the country’s demographic dividend by turning its large youth population into skilled and productive human resources.

He made the call while inaugurating National Youth Day-2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka on Sunday.

The President said young people are a major national asset and must play a leading role in nation-building. He stressed the need to develop skilled human resources to ensure Bangladesh remains competitive after graduating from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category.

He emphasized employment-oriented education, technical training and easier access to loans and other support to encourage young entrepreneurs and reduce unemployment.

The President also urged young people to stay away from drugs and take a stand against violence against women, dowry, discrimination and other social irregularities.

Highlighting the potential of renewable energy, he called for expanding biogas projects across the country to help address fuel and electricity shortages.

At the programme, the President handed over National Youth Awards to recipients at national and divisional levels. He also inaugurated a weeklong job fair and announced the inauguration of more than 1,200 biogas plants across the country.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque chaired the event.