‘4 more engineering colleges will be established’

Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon on Sunday said technical and vocational education and training had no alternative if Bangladesh was to transform its large population into human resources.

The government is giving the highest priority to technical education as part of its plan to turn Bangladesh’s large population into skilled human resources, Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon said.

He made the remarks while addressing a national dialogue on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for a skilled and productive Bangladesh at Daffodil Plaza auditorium in Dhanmondi, Dhaka.

Speaking as the chief guest at the event titled ‘A National Dialogue on TVET for a Skilled and Productive Bangladesh’ on Sunday, he said technical education was crucial to the country’s socio-economic development.

He urged people to move beyond the conventional approach to education, saying technical education was essential for building a developed Bangladesh.

Milon said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had adopted a plan to transform the country’s large population into human resources and the government was moving forward with that objective.

“Technical education is being given the highest priority” to achieve the goal, he said.

The minister also highlighted the growing global demand for technically skilled workers, saying expatriate Bangladeshis were one of the country’s major sources of foreign currency earnings.

He said the economy could become stronger if more skilled workers were sent abroad and stressed the need to give greater importance to technical education for this purpose.

As part of the initiative, the government will establish four more engineering colleges, Milon said.
He also said the government was working to develop Dhaka Polytechnic Institute as a model institution and was taking steps to undertake a separate project for the purpose.

The national dialogue focused on the role of technical and vocational education and training in developing a skilled and productive workforce for Bangladesh.

Technical and vocational education was presented as an important tool for meeting domestic economic needs and preparing workers for international employment opportunities.

Technical and Madrasa Education Division Secretary Md Daud Mia attended the programme as a special guest.

Daffodil Group Chairman Dr Md Sabur Khan presented the keynote paper, while CCN Polytechnic Institute Chairman Dr Md Tariqul Islam Chowdhury delivered the welcome address.