Yunus calls for unified skills certification to protect Bangladesh’s global labour image

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday underscored the need to strengthen Bangladesh’s global workforce credibility through unified skills certification and coordinated training standards, saying the country’s international labour prospects depend heavily on trust and quality assurance.

Presiding over a meeting of the governing body of the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) at his office in Dhaka’s Tejgaon, Prof Yunus said Bangladesh enjoys strong demand for its workers abroad, but warned that inconsistent standards and lack of credibility in certification could undermine that advantage.

“Employers must be confident that workers coming from Bangladesh will perform well,” he said, adding that safeguarding the country’s brand image in the global labour market is essential for sustaining overseas employment opportunities.

He said the NSDA offers a robust framework for developing skilled human resources aligned with both domestic and international market needs, and its role will become increasingly critical as demand for Bangladeshi workers continues to rise.

Prof Yunus expressed optimism that the authority’s initiative to introduce a unified certification system across training institutions would significantly enhance the credibility of Bangladeshi qualifications and support long-term workforce competitiveness.

He also highlighted the importance of coordinated efforts to allow private sector participation in skills development in a transparent and effective manner, noting that Bangladesh’s youth remain a key asset.

“Our young generation is creative and full of potential. We must ensure the right opportunities are created for them,” he said.

The meeting reviewed progress on earlier decisions and agreed to establish an integrated skills ecosystem, enabling uniform curricula and standards across training programmes run by different ministries.

Officials said the proposed system, once fully implemented, would improve the international acceptance of Bangladeshi certificates, reduce duplication and wastage of public resources, and allow more effective planning to meet industrial labour demand.

The governing body also approved NSDA’s long-term goals to address global labour challenges following Bangladesh’s graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status. These include conducting skills gap analyses in emerging sectors, aligning the Bangladesh National Qualifications Framework (BNQF) with international benchmarks, and bringing workers from the informal sector under national certification through recognition of prior learning.

The meeting also discussed the issuance of Continuous Discharge Certificates (CDC) for students trained at the Institutes of Marine Technology under the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.

Shipping and Labour and Employment Adviser Brigadier General (retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hussain, Industries Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Chief Adviser’s Principal Secretary M Siraz Uddin Mia, NSDA Executive Chairman Dr Nazneen Kawshar Chowdhury, and secretaries of various ministries and senior officials were also present at the meeting.