Bangladesh has started to see the impacts of nanotechnology, albeit slowly, says Planning Minister MA Mannan.
“18 million people are directly benefiting from nanotechnology through solar powered electricity,” he said on Monday.
“Poverty which has been endemic for hundreds of years in our region has been solved with technology, and the progress of nanotechnology will do just the same,” he added.
The minister was speaking as a chief guest at the inauguration of the International Symposium on Nanotechnology organized by the Center for Nanotechnology Research (CNR), American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB).
The daylong symposium aggregated related experts in the field of nanotechnology including scientists, academics, industry practitioners, researchers and students.
According to the minister Bangladesh is still in the crawling stage of nanotechnology, but the government is open to supporting the endeavours of the people related to science so that the lives of the people are developed in a fair and equitable environment.
Speakers at the symposium are of the view that nanotechnology will be an important tool to grab the front seat in the global competition to move forward.
Nanotechnology now holds a billion-dollar market globally. By 2025, the USA is expected to have an economy of $2.2billion market as opposed to the $1 billion in 2018.
“Scientists have developed several innovative technologies which have made human’s existence increasingly helpful,” said AIUB Vice Chancellor Dr Carmen Z Lamagna, who also serves as the chief patron of the symposium.
“Bangladesh is gradually establishing itself as a writing economic force in South Asia, making significant advances in technology which will improve the quality and productivity of industrialization,” he added.
Dr Mohammad Mahbub Rabbani, the technical program chair of the symposium, says that nanotechnology is one of the frontier technologies to aid a nation in the fourth industrial revolution.
He added that the subject itself is of immense potential as the US job market is likely to grow by 6% within 2026.
