, July 12 -- President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Sunday called for greater investment in education, healthcare, skills development and employment generation to transform Bangladesh's large youth population into productive human resources while stressing the need to bring down the country's fertility rate for long-term population stability.

Addressing a programme marking World Population Day 2026 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium, the President said the true strength of a nation lies not in the size of its population but in the quality of its human resources, including education, health, skills, employment and productivity.

Describing Bangladesh's demographic dividend as a time-bound opportunity, he said a planned and skilled population is...