Published: 10:00 AM, 18 June 2026
Job Fair for women held in Bandarban
Job Fair 2026 was held on Tuesday at the Hill View Convention Centre in Bandarban, aimed at creating employment opportunities for skilled women and adolescent girls. More than 20 employers from the tourism, banking, ICT, retail, and hospitality sectors participated in the event.
Organisations including BDJobs, Dutch-Bangla Bank Agent Banking, Shombhob Jobs, and Sairu Hill Resort set up stalls where participants could attend direct interviews, submit CVs, and receive career counselling on the spot. The fair was organised under the Shopner Sharothi - Girls Education and Skills Partnership (GESP) project, jointly implemented by Jaago Foundation Trust and UNICEF Bangladesh, with funding from the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
In marginalised regions such as Cox's Bazar and the Chittagong Hill Tracts, poverty, early marriage, restricted mobility, and a lack of local employment opportunities continue to be significant barriers for women entering the workforce. The Shopner Sharothi project was developed to address these challenges directly.
Md. Saniul Ferdous, District Administrator of Bandarban, said: "Tourism and the service sector are growing rapidly in this district. There is demand for skilled workers, but local supply remains limited. This job fair is a concrete step toward closing that gap."
UNICEF Bangladesh Representative Fahmida Shabnam said: "When trained girls are given the opportunity to work, they prove themselves quickly.
This fair is creating exactly that opportunity."
Project Coordinator Zahid Hossain said: "Our goal is not simply to train - it is to create a real pathway to employment for trained women. This job fair is directly connecting skilled young women with local employers."
Under the project, 4,100 adolescent girls and young women have so far received training in food and beverage service, retail, housekeeping, and computer skills. Through mobile training programmes, 1,320 young women in remote areas have been reached. A further 5,400 students are receiving digital literacy and leadership training through the Passport to Earning (P2E) platform.
A second job fair under the same initiative will be held on 18 June at Hotel Sea Palace in Cox's Bazar, where local and national employers will participate.
