Academicians and government officials have emphasized the need to remain committed to eradicating the constraints of Bangladesh's education and employment sector.
They discussed various topics, including low allocation, lack of updated policies, accountability, and loans being spent on paying debts, during a dialogue, titled "Budget FY2025-26: Education and Employment," on Tuesday at the Professor Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Dhaka.
The chief guest was Education Adviser Prof Dr Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar.
The event was inaugurated by Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan, vice-chancellor, University of Dhaka, and chaired by Dr Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, chairman, treasurer, University of Dhaka.
Constraints and the need to remain committed
Rafiqul identified persistent challenges in the country’s education sector, including time constraints, resource limitations, and a lack of accountability.
He stated: “Whenever I see a problem—be it errors in textbooks or institutional inefficiencies—people avoid taking responsibility. Why were these issues not prevented when they clearly could have been? Seeking accountability in these situations is extremely frustrating.”
He added: “Even within these limitations, I believe there is still work to be done. And we are certainly committed.”
Rafiqul invoked the metaphor of Sisyphus’s stone to illustrate how structural constraints continue year after year.
He noted that most, or even more than all, of the loans Bangladesh receives are being spent on debt repayment, resulting in inadequate allocation for the education sector.
Meanwhile, Niaz expressed frustration over low budgetary allocations and their impact on university research.
“When you ask me about my global ranking, I would humbly remind you that my situation is a product of the system you have created,” he said.
Referring to Dhaka University’s historical role in political and social movements, he added: “If I am expected to play a leading role in every movement, it comes at a cost—either neglect or the overshadowing of academic performance.”
Jahangir highlighted structural shortcomings in the country’s startup ecosystem.
He said that while India and Pakistan have established institutions, curricula, and evaluation systems for startup creation, Bangladesh has not yet implemented these necessary changes.
Education and employment in focus
The keynote presentation, titled “Budget FY2025–26: Education and Employment”, painted a mixed picture of the country’s economic outlook.
While Bangladesh faces significant headwinds—including inflation reaching 9.05% in May 2025, well above the government’s 6.5% target—there are some encouraging signs. Remittance inflows rose by 28.7%, and export earnings increased by 10.9%, reaching $44.94 billion in FY2025.
The proposed FY2026 budget stands at Tk7,97,000 crore, amounting to 18.2% of GDP, with a targeted GDP growth rate of 6.75%.
The presentation highlighted serious gaps in the education system. A total of 56% of teachers across schools and colleges lack formal training. In secondary schools, only 50.86% of the 224,414 teachers are properly trained.
While the education budget increased to 11.88% of the total national budget from 11.23% last year, it declined as a share of GDP—from 1.69% to 1.53%—suggesting that education is still not being prioritized.
The speakers also flagged a pressing employment crisis: currently, 22% of youth are classified as NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training), requiring immediate intervention. Unemployment rose to 4.63% in the October–December quarter of FY2024–25, with an estimated 2.72 million people unemployed in 2024.
Bangladesh's declining innovation capacity was also highlighted. The country dropped from 88th to 106th in the Global Innovation Index between 2022 and 2023, while India ranked 39th and Sri Lanka 89th. The speakers stressed that investment in innovation infrastructure and human capital is essential for sustainable economic transformation.
Significant employment potential in the healthcare sector was also discussed. Bangladesh currently has only 0.89 doctors and 0.28 nurses per 1,000 people, compared to WHO standards of one doctor, three nurses, and nine midwives per 1,000 population.
The presentation suggested that addressing healthcare human resource gaps could simultaneously improve public health outcomes and create substantial employment opportunities.
The speakers recommended increasing the education budget to 20% of the total national budget, or 4% of GDP.
Other proposals included expanding vocational and technical education and aligning innovation with industrial development.
The keynote suggested updating curricula for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and outlined key budgetary initiatives: Tk200 crore for adolescent clubs, Tk100 crore each for university research and startup support, and the establishment of science and technology universities in each district.
