Six months after taking office, Bangladesh’s BNP government has yet to show visible progress toward its election pledge of creating 10 million jobs over five years, according to the report published on August 24, 2026. Government plans prioritize jobs in Chinese and Japanese economic zones, reopening jute mills, and a proposed nationwide Employment Exchange, but officials said these initiatives remain at discussion and planning stages.

No ministry could provide reliable, consolidated data on how many new jobs have been created during the government’s first six months. The report cites at least 20,000 garment-sector workers losing jobs in the first half of the year, while industrial police data show about 457 factories closed between June 2024 and June this year. The textile industry group BTMA said more than 900 textile mills had fully shut because of gas shortages.

Private-sector credit growth fell to 4.47 percent at the end of June, the lowest level in records maintained since 2003, Bangladesh Bank data showed. Officials said an Employment Exchange committee has held four stakeholder meetings and will initially launch the system on a small scale after preparing a concept paper.