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, with local and national employers participating. Shopner Sharothi – Girls Education and Skills Partnership (GESP) Shopner Sharothi (Girls Education and Skills Partnership – GESP) is a joint initiative of JAAGO Foundation Trust and UNICEF Bangladesh, funded by FCDO aimed at empowering adolescent girls and young women aged 13–24 by expanding their access to education, skills development, employment opportunities, and economic independence. The programme focuses particularly on girls from geographically and socially marginalized communities in Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban, creating sustainable pathways from “skilling to earning.”

The project addresses key barriers affecting girls’ participation in education and the workforce, including limited access to quality skills training, social and gender-based barriers, early marriage, mobility constraints, and lack of connection with employment opportunities. Through a holistic approach, Shopner Sharothi provides market-relevant skills training, digital literacy, entrepreneurship support, leadership development, and career readiness assistance.