The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is already on and it is all set to gain extraordinary momentum soon. Is Bangladesh prepared for the technological transformation? A seminar titled, 'Fourth Industrial Revolution: Are We Ready' hosted by a leading local IT company posed this serious question. Participating in the discourse, experts were unanimous in making the suggestion that the country had better devised a strategy for the 4IR. Unlike many advanced Asian and European countries Bangladesh is struggling not with an aging population but a young population. More than 30 per cent of the 160 million people here are young (10-24 years of age). So to reap the demographic dividend, the country must develop an industrial policy compatible with the ground-breaking technological transformation now under way. It is a huge opportunity that must be welcomed with open arms. Failure to do so will create a lot of problems where the population will prove to be a burden rather than a human resource.
Planning with the population, therefore, is vitally important. The majority of the new generations will be required to be techno-savvy. Computer science will definitely be in the forefront. The various branches of this science will dominate the engine of production and development. Robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), nanotechnology, quantum computing, biotechnology, internet of things, 5G additive manufacturing/3D printing, electric and autonomous vehicles will lead the pack. Industries will be sophisticated and autonomous of an unprecedented order and the traditional labour is likely to be redundant. Even skill in foreign languages will be in need for obtaining a job both at home and abroad. Already those young people doing outsourcing need good enough communication skill at least in English to obtain orders and deliver those in time.
It is clear that the country's education base is not up to the mark to meet the challenges ahead. Computer knowledge of a rudimentary type will not do. But the computers distributed among village schools are unused for various problems. Either there is no power supply or qualified trainer or teacher. The younger children become familiar with computer knowledge the greater the chance for them to become techno-savvy. Today a child as young as 8-10 years old has the credit to develop apps. Young people from Bangladesh are not lagging behind in this respect. What they need is the right opportunity and environment.
Clearly, the lapses of the country's education system have to be overcome in a planned manner. But there is no alternative to investing far more than is done now in education. This will be necessary for reforming education to meet the challenges of the new millennium. Education has to be lifetime for better living. A young generation of teachers have to be developed within a specific time frame. They will prepare students for taking up the challenges of the 4IR. Industries and companies will also have to change their mindset. They must collaborate with universities and research institutes in order to spur innovation and reap benefits of technological wonders. Thus can Bangladesh turn its population into human resources.