Skilled manpower must for building Smart Bangladesh: FBCCI president

Time has come to bring a radical change in the county’s education system aiming at producing skilled manpower to face challenges of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) for building a “Smart Bangladesh” by 2041, said president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) Md. Jashim Uddin.

“The academia and industrial sector should work inclusively to produce skilled, trained and expert human resources,” Jashim Uddin said on Monday.

He was addressing a meeting titled ‘Current Trade-Commerce Situation in Rangpur division and Future Prospect’ organised by Rangpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) at its auditorium as the chief guest.

RCCI president Mostafa Sohrab Chowdhury Titu presided over the event.

Members of the board of directors of FBCCI, officials, executives of different chambers and trade bodies from all eight districts of Rangpur division, civil society members, women entrepreneurs, industrialists, traders and journalists were present.

Senior vice-president of FBCCI Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu, its vice-president Md. Amin Helali and former FBCCI director and Rangpur District Council Chairman heroic freedom fighter Mosaddek Hossain Bablu addressed as special guests.

Professor of the Department of Economics at Begum Rokeya University Md. Morshed Hossain delivered a keynote article narrating trade and commerce situation and future prospects in Rangpur division, prevailing issues, discriminations and way-outs.

Commissioner of Rangpur Divisional Customs Excise and VAT Commissionerate Suresh Chandra Biswas, presidents of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Panchagarh Small Tea Garden association president Md. Amirul Haque Khokon, and Rangpur NASIB president Md. Rakibul Hasan also spoke.

Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu highlighted the huge potential for setting up agro-based industries in Rangpur region alongside attracting domestic and foreign investments.

He drew the attention of FBCCI president to set up a Special Economic Zone at the vast abandoned site of Shyampur Sugar Mills in Rangpur.

Babu, also a former RCCI president and incumbent Convener of the Bazar Monitoring Cell of FBCCI, sought full cooperation of all traders of Rangpur division to keep prices of daily necessities at a bearable level during the coming holy month of the Ramadan.

Amin Helali said issues highlighted in the guidelines of the keynote article would definitely play an important role in creating a favourable environment for industrialisation in Rangpur division.

“The article has factually given a ‘master plan’ with direction in which way the private sector will run in the division,” he commented.

The speakers said industrialisation is not happening due to development inequality in Rangpur division where no mega project has been taken and poverty rate is increasing due to lack of industrialisation.

They called for speedy establishment of the proposed special economic zone, hi-tech park, provision of separate industry, credit policy, VAT and tax policies for Rangpur region and collateral-free loans for SME entrepreneurs to create a favorable environment for industrialisation.

The chief guest praised the main article that elaborately discusses prevailing potentials and problems of Rangpur division with outlines of Smart Bangladesh, Delta Plan, Vision-2041 and extensive development plans.

“The FBCCI Research Cell will review the guidelines and issues given in the article and work for industrialisation to accelerate development in Rangpur division,” he said.

He put special emphasis on turning youths into skilled manpower for local industries and before sending them abroad to enhance remittance earning by manifolds.

After implementation of the six-lane Elenga-Hatikumrul-Rangpur National Highway project and gas transmission line project from Bogura to Saidpur via Rangpur, the familiar scenario of Rangpur region’s economy will change, expanding trade and commerce, he hoped.

“We had a US$90 billion economy about 35 years ago. Currently, the volume of our economy stands at US$460 billion. Our economy will be US$01 trillion in 2041 in a developed ‘Smart Bangladesh’,” he said.