For a university student, an internship is supposed to be the first step into professional life. It is where classroom lessons meet real deadlines, office routines and the expectations of a workplace. But for many students, that first step comes with an uncomfortable condition: work without pay.
They arrive at offices six days a week, meet deadlines, attend meetings and take on responsibilities that can resemble those of full-time employees. Yet, at the end of the month, there may be no salary to show for it.
In Bangladesh, there is no centralised data showing how many interns work without pay. But accounts from students and recent graduates point to a recurring problem. For those who can afford it, an unpaid internship may be an inconvenience. For students from lower-income families, it can mean choosing between gaining the experience needed for a career and being able to afford the cost of getting to work.
The pressure is particularly difficult when an internship is tied to university graduation. Students may need to complete a mandatory placement to earn academic credits, leaving little room to negotiate pay or walk away from an unpaid offer.
For some, therefore, working for free is not really a choice. It is the price of entering the job market.
“With the very limited time I had since registration and the time my final semester starts at the university, I really had no other options than taking the first offer I got. There wasn’t really any scope for me to negotiate anything. If I hadn’t started the job when I did, I would’ve fallen behind and could have potentially become unfit for the defence presentation taking place in three months”, said an undergraduate student, Suvodro, 26.
Another reason that many pointed out is the “experience paradox”, where many entry-level jobs demand 1 to 3 years of experience. Internships are often treated as the only way to break this system, as they expand vital professional networks and serve as a direct, low-risk pathway to securing permanent, full-time employment.
In general, unpaid internships create a severe economic barrier and often create unwanted class division. For many wealthy interns, the setup might not cause any serious problems, but for low-income interns, this work for free medium can cause serious financial hardships down the road. Because they are receiving zero financial compensation, many face immense stress attempting to cover basic daily costs such as commuting, meals, residence and professional attire.
Saima Rahman, a recent graduate who completed her unpaid internship a few months prior, talks about the problems she faced during the three-month program. “I had to travel halfway across the capital 6 days a week to reach my office. Apart from buses, oftentimes I had to take CNG or bikes to reach my office. On top of that, the rising cost of living in Dhaka put a serious strain on my financial situation. Reluctantly, I had to ask my parents for money since the office wasn’t giving me anything”, said Saima.
The lack of financial investment by employers often translated into a lack of structured mentorship, with interns receiving limited directions and advice on their activities that could assist in career progression. Many often compare it to corporate exploitation, where interns are often forced to perform menial tasks, full-time labour work with legal workplace protection, benefits and a guarantee of future employment.
“The main problem of working unpaid is that they really don’t care about you. You don’t really get to learn anything properly. During my time as an intern, I primarily worked a desk job with very minimal supervision”, said Hasan, 25, a graduate.
Imam Shafi, 26, a recent graduate who had resigned from his unpaid internship for a paid one, talked about the parallels between the two separate environments. “Everyone works to get paid; that is the main motivating factor. When a student is paid, they feel motivated to work. Where I completed my internship, the environment was very supportive, and I was put to really good work on some major projects. And since I was being supported financially, I put great effort in my assignments,” said Shafi.
He also added that it had a positive impact on his academics, as the internship helped him develop a report that helped him obtain the credits he needed with a very good grade.
Rownak Ahmed, 27, a law student, talked about how many law firms often bypass regulations by providing very little stipend. “I know friends who, while working under experienced lawyers, earn around Tk 1000- 3000 monthly; this is really hard for us to accept as we spend years putting maximum effort in our subject”, said Rownak.
The practice of unpaid internships stems from companies exploiting academic desperation and using the excuse of “training cost” to gain free entry-level labour. While the Bangladesh Labor Act 2006 historically left a regulatory vacuum for academic interns, it explicitly mandates that “apprentices” and “learners” receive an allowance for their work.
Meaning, forcing an intern to do regular work without pay borders on illegal labour practices. Ultimately, bypassing these regulations to extract free labour under the guise of an “internship” is not just ethically flawed, but a direct violation of basic worker rights.
For students already carrying the financial burden of university, an unpaid internship can turn the first step into professional life into another economic struggle. The experience may provide a line on a CV, a professional connection or, in some cases, a pathway to a permanent job. But the cost of gaining that experience is not the same for everyone.
An internship is meant to teach students how to work, not teach them how to survive without a wage. When students are expected to perform regular workplace duties without meaningful compensation, the question is no longer simply whether an internship provides valuable experience. It is whether that experience is accessible to everyone, or only to those who can afford to work for free.
