How Bangladesh can bridge the divide between education and industry

Illustration: TBS

People in Bangladesh often talk about expanding industries, increasing exports, and improving the living standards of workers. However, the real gap, based on my findings, lies in the core issue. The world's industries are increasingly shifting towards robotics, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution is unfolding. To engage with these technologies, highly skilled, well-educated individuals are needed—something we lack. In our country, most workers are either unskilled or semi-skilled. I need to create factories and systems that generate employment, but we're not doing that. Our talented individuals are leaving the country, while at the same time, we are hiring foreign workers to run factories.

I sent my son abroad for his studies, and when I asked if he would return, he told me, "Dad, you keep doing your work, but I'm staying here." He's settled into a white-collar job and doesn't want to face the challenges of working in Bangladesh. This is a growing trend: we are losing talent, and brain drain is real.

Not long ago, I visited the United States, and a former student asked where I would be going. When I told her, she said, "I live there! There are about 30 of us from IBA in that state. I met up with 20 of them last Saturday. They all work at Amazon and Microsoft." This is exactly how we're losing talent. We educate them, but they leave. In fact, 50-60% of BUET graduates have left the country. This has been happening since the 1960s, and it's still ongoing. We spend taxpayers' money to educate these bright individuals, but we're not retaining them.

A major reason for this is that we don't value talent properly. Too often, managerial positions in our companies are passed down within families. Over time, the position of CEO or manager is inherited by the next generation, and our companies lack proper structure. Because of this, young, ambitious professionals aren't interested in working for local firms—they want something more organised and structured.

At the same time, we're increasingly hiring foreign workers, particularly from Sri Lanka, to fill key roles. There's a reason for this. Foreign workers, especially those in managerial or technical roles, bring qualities we're not nurturing here—skills like language proficiency, effective communication, technical expertise, and a strong work ethic. When these workers come to Bangladesh, they focus solely on their jobs and rise through the ranks quickly, including within the internal politics of the organisation. They bring with them a different work culture—one that is more efficient and productive.

In contrast, in Bangladesh, many workers are just working to the clock. Some put in the effort, but too many don't. And it shows.

When our young people go abroad for work, they really commit. They're highly regarded for their efficiency, whether in blue-collar or white-collar roles. But back home, they tend to clock-watch and shy away from the level of responsibility they'd take on abroad.

Let me share an example I often mention in class: If you compare the staff, workload, and transactions between a local bank and a foreign one, the difference is glaring. In a foreign bank, just 20% of the staff accomplishes more work than 100% of our local bank staff. Put simply, Bangladeshi banks need 80% more workers than their foreign counterparts to do the same job.

A few years ago, I visited a factory in Turkey that really opened my eyes. Three people were cutting 100,000 garments a day. They used to cut and stack the fabric, but now they handle everything. Their salary was 300 Euros, which was around Tk30,000 at the time.

In comparison, a factory in Bangladesh would need at least 60 workers to cut the same 100,000 garments, working a minimum of 16 hours a day—12 hours of regular work and 4 hours of overtime. Without counting overtime, these 60 workers would be paid at least Tk600,000 in total wages.

This is a real example. So, how do we solve this? We face both unemployment and underemployment. We're all underemployed. I haven't fully realised my own potential, and I'm not far from the end of my career.
This issue is widespread across sectors here. We don't know how to make the most of people's talents.

I say this in class every day, and have for the past five to six years: We need to export our culture. Why do I say this? Because not long ago, our people didn't eat pizza, burgers, or French fries. They ate dal, potato bhorta, rice, green chillies, and dried fish. Bangladeshis were once known for their love of fish and rice. So who introduced us to fast food? Hollywood movies did. 

Cultural exchange made this happen. Similarly, we need to establish an exchange for human resources. After sending our talented people abroad, we must bring this culture back to local companies, giving them opportunities to thrive.

Another key issue is the gap between education and industry. The main problem is communication. Even with higher degrees, talented individuals often struggle to communicate effectively, lack drive, and possess weak leadership qualities. Ten years ago, I visited a university in Germany during the summer. The campus was buzzing with energy. In one department, there was a fully functioning factory—a spinning mill and a textile mill. In a leather workshop, car seats were being produced, combining leather, aesthetics, technology, and engineering. If you visit a university in Bangladesh, you'll notice the difference. Our institutions lack hands-on learning opportunities, which leads to a significant industry-education gap that we still haven't solved. We build universities, but we fail to provide the practical facilities students need.

Another issue is that many companies in Bangladesh do not want to hire IBA students, mainly because they don't want to offer high salaries. They value time over work quality. Companies need to move away from this mindset. By properly valuing talent, good employees can be found. Talented people will stay in the country.

Dr Mohammad A Momen. Sketch: TBS

The author joined the Department of Finance at Dhaka University in 1984 as a lecturer, later becoming an associate professor in the Department of Business Administration.