Following the inspiring student-led revolution, a renewed hope emerged that Bangladesh could finally realize its aspirations of economic prosperity and becoming a true welfare state.
This vision echoes the dreams we cherished after the Liberation War in 1971, when, as young students, we looked toward a brighter future. Yet, history has been a harsh reminder: Political parties have continually fallen short of fulfilling these dreams.
Over the past 53 years, Bangladesh has often veered off course, leading to persistent political unrest and instability. If this pattern persists, the country risks slipping further into a state of uncertainty and darkness.
In today's world of rapid technological advancement and intense competition, the challenge of building a nation that is both economically prosperous and committed to welfare is greater than ever. Bangladesh can no longer afford further missteps.
Regarding economic growth in the era of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), relying on outdated approaches, knowledge, and inflexible mindsets -- no matter how effective they once were -- will not address the challenges we face today.
The true test for older policymakers is their ability to adapt to the complex technologies transforming business and service dynamics. We must look both backward and forward with a creative mindset.
Unlike past industrial revolutions marked by innovations like steam power or electricity, the 4IR represents a new wave of transformation. It combines advanced technologies that merge digital, physical, and biological realms, creating a deeply interconnected world. Building on the foundations of the digital revolution, the 4IR introduces new levels of automation and interconnectedness, fundamentally reshaping industries, businesses, services, and even our daily lives.
Key technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), the internet of things (IoT), advanced robotics, and biotechnology are at the heart of this revolution. They are enhancing productivity and efficiency by enabling smarter decision-making, more responsive systems, and automating tasks that once required human input.
In sectors such as transportation, finance, and healthcare, these innovations are driving significant changes. Autonomous vehicles, smart assistants, and predictive analytics improve safety, customer service, and forecasting. Biotechnology breakthroughs are revolutionizing healthcare, agriculture, and environmental management -- offering new ways to treat genetic disorders, boost crop production, and address climate challenges.
In Bangladesh, many industries still adhere to traditional economic models that are predominantly low-skilled, labour-intensive, and less reliant on technology. This approach is evident in sectors like agriculture, garment manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, leather and footwear, shipbuilding, and small-scale production, which together form a substantial portion of the nation's economy.
Agriculture remains a vital sector, employing around 40% of the workforce. Yet, much of it still depends on conventional farming methods, with limited adoption of modern technologies like precision farming, automated irrigation, and biotechnology.
As a result, crop yields are often lower than they could be, due to the minimal use of advanced seeds, fertilizers, and pest control methods. In contrast, countries that have embraced agricultural technology achieve higher productivity, enabling them to produce more with less land and water.
Bangladesh is also a major global player in ready-made garments (RMG), but this industry remains largely labour-intensive, with limited automation. While some machinery is in use, tasks like sewing and finishing are predominantly manual.
This limits the industry's ability to scale efficiently or quickly adapt to market shifts. Competitor nations like Vietnam and China are increasingly automating, which enhances their efficiency, lowers costs, and keeps them competitive on the global stage.
Bangladesh’s e-commerce sector, despite rapid global growth, is still in its infancy compared to neighbours like India. Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have yet to adopt digital tools, which limits their potential reach and expansion.
The slow uptake of digital payments, logistics solutions, and customer analytics further hampers growth and access to broader markets. Additionally, limited government support for this sector has impeded its progress and potential for rapid growth.
For Bangladesh to remain competitive, it must move beyond conventional approaches by investing in essential infrastructure, skills, and technologies that drive innovation. This means building a digitally proficient workforce, promoting research and development, and implementing policies that support entrepreneurship and technological advancement.
Universities are pivotal in this transformation. They need to equip graduates not only with disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge but also with adaptive skills such as emotional intelligence, creativity, problem-solving, empathy, and resilience. These competencies cannot be cultivated through traditional “chalk and talk” lectures alone. Therefore, educators should consider alternative teaching which foster the adaptive abilities required in a rapidly evolving economy.
Our universities should shift from "Cartesian" to "nonlinear" education. Cartesian education, rooted in Descartes' philosophy, emphasizes order and linear thinking, with subjects taught in isolation. In contrast, nonlinear education blends subjects, encouraging interdisciplinary connections and focusing on adaptation, innovation, and problem-solving -- skills essential for the 4IR.
To thrive in a technologically advanced and interconnected world, it is crucial to embrace the challenging 4IR-driven economy and reshape higher education now. Universities must focus on producing adaptive and innovative graduates. At the same time, the government cannot ignore the reality of nearly 66 million low-skilled workers. A coordinated and innovative approach is urgently needed to address this pressing challenge, and the nation eagerly awaits its realization.
M M Shahidul Hassan is the Former Vice chancellor, East West University and Professor(ret), BUET. Email: shahidul7371@gmail.com.