Between July and December 2024, nearly 2.1 million people across Bangladesh lost their jobs, with 1.8 million of them being women, according to data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. The impact has been especially severe in sectors employing large numbers of women, including development projects and the garment industry.
In January 2025, USAID halted funding for 55 out of 59 of its projects in Bangladesh following a global stop-work order. As a result, an estimated 50,000 people, many of them women working in Cox’s Bazar and other districts, lost their jobs. Workers who had relocated from different parts of the country were suddenly left without income or housing support.
The garment sector, another major employer of women, also saw widespread layoffs. Workers like Champa and Shilpi, both of whom had years of experience, reported being let go without warning, often after raising concerns about basic rights such as day-care facilities or fair compensation. One worker was blacklisted, limiting her future job prospects.
Economists have expressed concern about the long-term social and economic effects. While the official budget for 2025–26 has been passed, the issue of rising unemployment, particularly among women, was not addressed. Analysts warn that the absence of job creation, legal protections, and social safety nets will deepen economic hardship and inequality.
Source: DW
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