22/07/2022
Is Bangladesh prepared for 4IR?
Bangladesh is well situated to take advantage of 4IR. It has a growing manufacturing base, skilled manpower, and a creative entrepreneurial class. On the other side, the level of automation is still weak, the manufacturing sector is limited to garments and a few other minor industries, inadequate infrastructure and the institutions leave much to be desired. If Bangladesh wants to grab the opportunities arising from 4IR, it will need to put in place certain measures to overcome issues around accessibility, affordability, and the application of technologies in a fast-moving global environment.
Fortunately, our leadership is fully cognisant of the potential benefits of 4IR and the enormous tasks that lie ahead. The planning minister assured a gathering of business leaders that the government would provide full support for the formulation and implementation of a national strategy to make Bangladesh 4IR-responsive. The country is poised to review its progress periodically, having set specific growth targets for the years 2026, 2031 and 2041. To name a few, the country aims to graduate from LDC status in 2026, become an upper-middle-income country (UMIC) by 2031 and achieve high-income country status by 2041. In addition, there are 18 development targets to be achieved by 2030 under the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).