Time prime to get youths into 4th industrial revolution

Developed countries are already reaping the 4th industrial revolution's (4IR) benefits whereas Bangladesh is still at its primary stage, necessitating prompt utilisation of the country's current demographic dividend alongside the productivity of youths, said speakers at a programme yesterday. 

"The use of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (ai), robotics and cloud computing has not yet flourished in the country," said Faruq Ahmed Jewel, head of technology of the state's Aspire to Innovate (a2i) programme.

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"We need to gradually launch these technologies in our industrial sector as it will play a key role in the 4IR," he said in a keynote speech, adding that overall productivity would increase and more money and time would be saved.

For example, the internet of things enables businesspeople to monitor production and control business activities, he said.

The belief that this will render existing jobs useless is not wholly true. More jobs will be created than those turned redundant. "So, we have to start preparations from now," he added.

National Productivity Organisation (NPO) under the Ministry of Industries organised the event at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka marking National Productivity Day 2022 under the theme "Productivity to Meet the Challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution".

"If we want to sustain as well as compete in the world, we have to utilise the technologies. If we are not able to achieve it, we cannot survive," said Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque as chief guest.

Electricity and the steam engine were invented over 200 years ago yet the country was still lagging behind in harness their benefits, he said.

The government has already formulated a National Productivity Master Plan spanning from 2021 to 2030 to target an annual average productivity growth rate of 5.6 per cent, said Kamal Ahmed Mojumder, state minister for industries.

Productivity at the national level is typically defined and measured in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, per employed person or per hour worked.

Bangladesh's average productivity growth rate was 3.8 per cent between 1995 and 2016.

"The government is working to implement the plan to increase productivity at the national level. Along with the state-owned industries, we are working for enhancing skills of the private sectors," he said.

"The next generation will be knowledge and technology-based who will best utilise our national resources," said Md Jashim Uddin, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, as the special guest.

He urged the government to give more emphasis on technical education along with higher education to generate productive manpower. The relationship between industry and academia should be more effective, he said.

"Before exporting manpower, we should ensure their skills and efficiency to earn more remittance," said Uddin.

Zakia Sultana, secretary to the industries ministry, and Muhammad Mesbahul Alam, director general of the NPO, also spoke.