State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russell on Thursday said currently 28 percent youth are unemployed in the country.

“The government is working to bring down the rate to three percent,” he told a press conference, marking the National Youth Day, at the ministry.

A project has been taken to eliminate youth unemployment in the rural areas, he said. 

The project covers 492 villages across the country. “The DPP (development project proposal) has already been completed and it’ll be sent to the Planning Commission for approval,” he said.

Some 2,29,921 trained young men were provided Tk 1,029.25 crore loan between January 2009 to June 30 this year, he said.

Besides, 27,18,644 young men have been trained by the Department of the Youth Development from January 1, 2009 to June 30, 2019. Of them 6,82,040 people were self-employed, said the Minister.