Government Announces Tk 500 Crore Startup Fund for Young Entrepreneurs

The government has announced a Tk 500 crore startup fund to encourage young entrepreneurs and support innovative business initiatives. The initiative aims to ensure that promising young entrepreneurs do not have to abandon their business ventures due to a lack of financial resources.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman disclosed the information in a message issued on the occasion of National Youth Day 2026. The day will be observed on November 1 under the theme, “Skilled Youth Will Build the Nation, Bangladesh for All.”

In his message, the Prime Minister said that young people are one of the principal driving forces behind a nation's development, progress, and prosperity. From the country's independence struggle to overcoming national crises and advancing development initiatives, the youth have made significant contributions. The government is implementing various programmes to harness their talent, creativity, and skills.

The Prime Minister stated that more than 8 million young men and women have received skills development training of varying durations through the Department of Youth Development. Of them, approximately 2.5 million have become self-reliant through self-employment. Many earn between Tk 20,000 and Tk 100,000 per month, while some earn even more.

He further revealed that a total of Tk 2,861.87 crore in youth loans had been distributed among young entrepreneurs up to June 2026. In addition, a special startup fund worth Tk 500 crore has been announced to provide financial assistance to innovative youth-led ventures. He also mentioned that the government has taken an initiative to allocate budgetary funds specifically for the startup sector for the first time in the country.

Highlighting the history of youth development and employment initiatives, the Prime Minister said that Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman took the initiative to establish the Ministry of Youth Development in 1978. Subsequently, the Department of Youth Development was established in 1981 to expand youth development activities at the grassroots level. Former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, on the other hand, took initiatives in 1991 to establish youth training centres in every district to create employment opportunities and promote practical and technical skills.

Emphasising the importance of adapting to the demands of the modern world, the Prime Minister stressed that young people must acquire technical, technological, and practical skills alongside conventional education. He said initiatives had been undertaken to equip young people with expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), freelancing, and modern technologies. These training programmes are creating opportunities for young people to work online and earn foreign currency.

He also highlighted the importance of expanding training programmes in promising sectors, including smart agriculture, export-oriented packaging, food processing, foreign language education, and environmentally friendly technologies. He further mentioned the involvement of young people in environmental protection through the installation of biogas plants under the IMPACT project.

Regarding the National Youth Award, the Prime Minister said that a total of 546 self-employed individuals, both men and women, as well as youth organisers, had received the award in recognition of their contributions to nation-building.

Concluding his message, the Prime Minister called upon young people to actively participate in national development by developing their talents, innovative thinking, and technological capabilities. He expressed optimism that a skilled and technology-driven youth population would play a vital role in building a prosperous, modern, and self-reliant Bangladesh.