A distinct lack of skilled human resources and a long-term plan, and limited country branding pose a challenge to the potential business process outsourcing (BPO) sector in Bangladesh.
Introducing a focus group to tap global market, BPO's integration into curriculum and use of latest information technologies can create jobs and diversify the export basket, industry insiders said.
Making a contract with a third party at home or abroad to manipulate non-primary business activities is known as BPO, which largely depends on information and communications technology (ICT).
Bangladesh Association of Call Centre and Outsourcing (BACCO) secretary general Towhid Hossain said BPO industry has drawn attention to its recent growth and further potential.
"The sector began its journey in Bangladesh in 2009 with only 300 employees, but the number is now nearly 50,000 with further growth potential," he added.
Mr Hossain said it is time for skilled human resources in services like data analysis, big data, financial accounting, chat-bot technology and internet of things to gain a foothold globally.
He stressed the need for a focus group to promote Bangladesh's BPO market globally with state support as a single BPO operator cannot approach global clients one by one.
Both the government and the private sector can hire more BPO companies for their faster operations with accuracy, said Mr Hossain who leads Fifo-tech.
His BPO firm is specialised in call centre, digital marketing, data entry, HR outsourcing and financial accounting services.
Sources said the leading local BPO operators include Digicon Technologies, Graphic people, Tiger IT and Genex Infosys.
According to the data available with the BACCO, earnings from the BPO sector stood at $300 million in fiscal year (FY) 2017-18.
It was only $12 million in FY 2011-12.
The trade body aims to create an estimated 0.1 million employment by 2021 in the BPO sector.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bangladesh published a recent report styled 'Comprehensive Private Sector Assessment' to this end.
It has identified ICT and outsourcing as one of the 16 private sectors that can help boost the country's economy through revenue and job creation.
Bangladesh has a comparative advantage of 'lowest cost offshoring destination' in global outsourcing landscape (20-30 percent lower than India and Philippines), the report said.
It has attracted attention of several leading global IT-ITES service providers such as Wipro, IBM, TCS, and Augmedix.
Within ITES services, non-voice services (graphic design, industry-specific BPO for telecom and financial services) are more prominent services delivered by Bangladeshi exporters.
Voice-based services are only provided for domestic market, the USAID report said.
The global BPO market size is estimated to be $500 billion. Countries like India, Sri Lanka and Philippines are leading the market.
