Bangladesh government, businesses are ‘not worried’ about 4IR

Bangladesh's businesses and government are “not worried” about the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) that has the potential to replace workers with automation.

A researcher of Harvard Law School, Dora Sari, said she had studied 10 different businesses in Bangladesh mostly readymade garments and found “the sector is not yet anxious about automation, replacement of workers and re-shoring".

“No replacement effect so far and companies reported on increase of workforce in spite of automation,” she said while presenting her paper at a seminar on ‘Industry 4.0 – transformative technologies for growth and development’ in Dhaka on Wednesday.

The Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and the Boston-based non-profit research organisation, International Sustainable Development Institute, co-organised the seminar where speakers provided an overview of the main developments in the field and the risks and opportunities.

Like the revolutions that preceded it, the 4IR has the potential to raise global income levels and improve the quality of life for populations around the world, according to the World Economic Forum.

At the same time, the revolution could yield greater inequality, particularly in its potential to disrupt labour markets.

“All of us remember when computer came first time people thought computer will take away jobs. Computer has created more jobs or the largest number of jobs that came out in human history. So nothing to worry,” Executive chairman of BIDA Kazi Aminul Islam said, presenting the rosy side of the 4IR.

“We are really in a very interesting time. This is the time with the highest development achievement humanity even made - half of the population will be middle-income in no time.”

“That again is the time when we have highest level of development aspirations for development as well.

“The best way to include people is education so that they can go at a level and come out of poverty. Again this is the time when we have highest level of awareness,” he said on a positive note.

“Technology brings opportunities and challenges. We are taking the opportunities that inherent in the past. We are taking the opportunity that unfolds in the future as well.

“If we want to transform this country, we have to transform our people. There is no other way. We have to create jobs that one of the compulsion.

“We all know in telecommunication that they call last mile connectivity. We still have more than 20 percent of people below poverty level. We have to reach the last person. That is something we have to work on. We have to use technology for a purpose.”

“All this changes get automatically incorporated in the society. Automation is just the part. Societal preparedness, preparedness of the economy, even politics for our purpose in order to face the challenges, we have to continuously improve our economy, social and political system.

“We all know it’s a resilient economy. We have vibrant industry especially RMG sector, number two in the world. We have very enlightened, very talented entrepreneurs and what is needed is to have a coalition – between industry, government and the academia.

“Bangladesh has an advantage in terms of human soft skills and other skills. That will be more valuable. There is an advantage. We have to look it at. We have to redefine our advantage,” he said.

Abul Kalam Azad, principal coordinator (SDG affairs), Prime Minister Office, highlighted the entrepreneurial energy of the Bangladeshis and said “we have the courage to face challenges”.

“Some are saying we are having jobless growth. Why people say that?  Can it be possible for a decade of growth without jobs? It’s impossible,” he said, adding that “there is new job growth and there is new Bangladesh”.