World Bank Vice President for South Asia Johannes Zutt has wrapped up a three-day visit to Bangladesh after meeting senior government leaders, public officials and civil society representatives to discuss the country’s economic priorities. During the visit, he met the Finance and Planning Minister, the Commerce Minister, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance and Planning, and the Bangladesh Bank Governor to talk about development needs and possible World Bank Group support. Zutt said the World Bank shares Bangladesh’s focus on large-scale job creation, skills development and investment, and he stressed that support for jobs, especially for youth and women, will remain a major priority. He also warned that Bangladesh faces a serious labour market challenge, noting that 14 million young people entered the workforce over the past decade while only 8.7 million jobs were available. He said nearly half of working-age youth were unable to find work, and young women faced especially difficult barriers. Against that backdrop, he said long-delayed macroeconomic and financial sector reforms are needed to remove the basic obstacles slowing growth and job creation. The World Bank Group says it is helping countries turn economic growth into local employment by investing in physical infrastructure, human capital, a better business climate and private capital. The institution also highlighted its long relationship with Bangladesh, saying it was among the first development partners to support the country after independence. Since then, it has committed more than $46 billion in IDA financing through grants, interest-free loans and concessional credits to help meet Bangladesh’s development needs. The visit reflects a wider effort to keep growth tied to practical outcomes such as better jobs, stronger skills and a healthier business environment. For Bangladesh, that means not only attracting more support from development partners, but also making the changes needed at home so growth can reach more young people and more women.
