AI job shock puts BD’s edu system on trial

Bangladesh’s labour market may be heading toward one of its biggest disruptions yet, as artificial intelligence, robotics and fast-moving technologies threaten to replace millions of existing jobs while demanding a workforce the country may not yet be ready to supply.

Prominent economist Debapriya Bhattacharya on Thursday warned that AI could eliminate as many as 5.6 million jobs in Bangladesh, but said the bigger concern is not job loss alone — it is whether the country’s education and skills systems can prepare young people for the new jobs that may emerge.

Speaking at a dialogue titled “Government Priorities and the Education Sector: Budget and Reality”, organised by the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference
Centre in Agargaon, Debapriya said technological change could reshape employment faster than Bangladesh’s institutions can respond.

“AI could eliminate 5.6 million jobs in Bangladesh. Even if 5 million technology-driven jobs are created in their place, the real question is whether Bangladesh has prepared itself to compete for them,” said Debapriya, a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue.

His warning shifted the discussion from automation as a future threat to education as an immediate economic priority.

If Bangladesh fails to upgrade learning quality, technical training and workforce readiness, the country could face a double risk: losing traditional jobs while missing out on new digital opportunities.

Debapriya said Bangladesh’s young labour force is entering a market where certificates alone will not be enough.

Future jobs will require digital literacy, problem-solving ability, adaptability, technical skills and stronger learning foundations.

The economist argued that the country must move beyond simply bringing children into classrooms.

The real question now, he said, is what students actually learn by the time they leave school.

“Students are enrolling in schools, but what standard of learning are they leaving with? That is now the defining question,” he said.

He called for a shift from enrolment-focused education policy to outcome-based accountability, saying Bangladesh once fought for access to education but must now fight for the quality and results of that education.

Debapriya also said education reform should not remain limited to policy papers, budget discussions or technical recommendations.

Instead, he called for a broader political and social movement around quality education.

According to him, discussions are underway to turn the education agenda into a wider public campaign, including possible engagement with newly elected members of parliament.

“We believe what Bangladesh needs most right now is an education movement,” he said, adding that public consultations before elections repeatedly showed quality education as one of people’s top aspirations.

He also raised concerns over the government’s stipend programme, saying cash support helps poor and marginalised families but does not cover the full cost of keeping children in education.

Transport, food, learning materials, private tutoring and opportunity costs often continue to make education expensive for disadvantaged households.

The warning comes at a time when Bangladesh is trying to maintain growth, expand exports and prepare for a more competitive global economy.

But without a skilled workforce, economists fear the country may struggle to move into higher-value industries or benefit from technology-driven employment.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj attended the event as chief guest, while CPD Additional Director for Research Towfiqul Islam Khan presented the keynote paper.