Prof MM Shahidul Hassan, PhD :
Bangladesh has set an ambitious yet achievable goal to become a developed country by 2041. Central to this vision are two pivotal areas: firstly, raising per capita income to surpass the US $12,500 mark; and secondly, driving industrialization forward, fostering innovation, and embracing technological integration.
In Bangladesh, key sectors such as Agriculture, Food Processing, Agricultural, Ready-Made Garments (RMG), ICT/Software, Pharmaceuticals, Leather and Leather Products, Jute and Jute Products, and Light Engineering employ a large portion of the labour force and serve as primary contributors to the country’s economic growth. As of 2023, 39 percent of the workforce in Bangladesh was engaged in agriculture, 20 percent in industry, and 41 percent in the service sector.
A discernible trend shows an increasing workforce in both industry and service sectors, juxtaposed with a declining trend in agriculture. However, there’s a challenge: there aren’t enough educated workers in crucial industries like RMG, Pharmaceuticals, and Leather. This is worrying because it means that low-skilled and unskilled workers outnumber those with higher education.
This issue becomes even more critical when we think about the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the goal of increasing per capita income. It is something that needs attention to ensure Bangladesh’s workforce is prepared for the changing demands of the economy.
Remittances from Bangladeshi workers stand as a cornerstone of Bangladesh’s economic strength, significantly contributing to GDP growth and enabling the importation of crucial raw materials and capital equipment. In 2023 alone, remittances totaled nearly $21.9 billion, emerging as one of the leading income-generating sectors in Bangladesh.
Interestingly, neighboring India holds the title for the world’s largest remittance recipient, receiving an estimated $125 billion in remittances in the same year. This underscores the potential of labour migration as a catalyst for Bangladesh’s socio-economic development.
Presently, approximately 8 million Bangladeshi migrants are employed worldwide, with annual migration averaging between 0.3-0.4 million. However, a concerning statistic from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training reveals that 57% of Bangladeshi migrants are unskilled workers, with only 0.41% categorized as professionals and 34.95% as skilled laborers.
Turning to the local job market, around 62% of available jobs are concentrated in sectors with low productivity, predominantly occupied by labourers, unskilled workers, and agricultural workers. Semi-skilled positions, such as clerks, service workers, plant and machine operators, and assemblers, constitute 33% of total jobs, while highly skilled roles like executives, government employees, professionals, and associate professionals, represent a mere 5 percent.
Conversely, approximately two hundred thousand foreign employees are employed in Bangladesh’s industrial sector, collectively withdrawing salaries exceeding $6 billion annually. The inadequate skill level of the local graduate workforce is often cited as a significant factor contributing to this reliance on foreign labor.
Bangladesh finds itself at a critical juncture in its history, grappling with the formidable challenges posed by 4IR. This era witnesses the rapid integration of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud computing, and 3D printing, leading to the automation of industries and the displacement of human decision-making in various sectors.
As a result, traditional jobs are vanishing, replaced by a new landscape where the nature of employment is uncertain. In the context of 4IR, achieving developed country status by raising per capita income to $12,500 while addressing the employment needs of both low-skilled laborers and university graduates poses a complex challenge.
This challenge is accentuated by the predicament of low-skilled and unskilled workers, who encounter significant hurdles as routine jobs undergo increasing automation. The pervasive sentiment is that anything codifiable risks being supplanted by technology, altering the dynamics of human interaction in the workforce.
Amidst these shifts, the focus must pivot towards non-routine jobs that align with the desired trajectory of economic growth in 4IR era. While the extent of 4IR’s advancement exceeds our wildest imaginations, strategic emphasis on adaptable employment opportunities becomes paramount to navigating this transformative era successfully.
The shift towards non-routine and cognitive tasks demands a workforce equipped with higher-order cognitive abilities and employable skills, including socio-emotional aptitude. Therefore, dominating low-skilled and unskilled laborers in Bangladesh could pose significant challenges in adapting to the demands of the 4IR. Acknowledging and adapting to the transformations catalyzed by the 4IR are deemed crucial for economic advancement.
Failing to address these changes could impede progress and leave Bangladesh vulnerable to the rapid technological evolution underway. Therefore, the passage emphasizes the necessity of proactive measures to equip the workforce with the skills and competencies required to thrive in the digital age and capitalize on the opportunities it presents.
The current reality calls for a fresh perspective towards not only higher education but also school education, considering the intricacy of modern technologies and the diverse range of societal needs. The government of Bangladesh has recently embarked on a commendable initiative to revamp school education.
Two pivotal aspects undergo this revision: (i) the introduction of new assessment tools and (ii) a massive reform of course curriculum. These changes aim to discourage rote memorization and prioritize active student engagement. To successfully implement this school education revision, the government must make all necessary arrangements and training. Otherwise, the change will not yield any benefits.
4IR emphasizes the need for employable skills, encompassing creativity, critical thinking, complex problem-solving, ethics, lifelong learning, entrepreneurship, machine-human interaction, and interdisciplinary prowess for university graduates. Traditional teaching methods struggle to impart these skills effectively.
Researchers at UC Berkeley, USA are pioneering a new approach to integrate them into curriculum content. Education researchers now advocate alternative teaching methods such as problem-based learning, project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and flipped classrooms.
Technological advancements combined with new teaching methods and curricula have the potential to improve service quality and enhance job creation.
By prioritizing education and skill development, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, embracing digital technologies, and strengthening collaboration between academia and industry, Bangladesh can transform its higher education landscape, upskill its workforce, and seize the opportunities of the 4IR to achieve sustainable economic prosperity by Vision 2041.
(The writer is former Vice Chancellor, East West University and
Professor, BUET).