Despite debt cycle challenges, govt pursuing high-impact education initiatives: Adviser CR Abrar
"Bangladesh has been caught in a Sisyphean situation for years where nearly the same amount of money received as new loans, or even more, is being spent on servicing previous debts," says the education adviser
The interim government is pursuing high-impact education initiatives despite challenges with the never-ending cycle of debt, said Education Adviser Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar, popularly known as CR Abrar.
"Bangladesh has been caught in a Sisyphean situation for years where nearly the same amount of money received as new loans, or even more, is being spent on servicing previous debts," he said today (24 June) at a seminar titled "2024-25 Budget: Education and Employment" held at Dhaka University's Mozaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium.
"Despite this, efforts are being made to take high-impact initiatives in priority areas, including the education sector," added the education adviser.
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The seminar was jointly organised by the university's research institute, "Center on Budget and Policy", and the Department of Development Studies.
Adviser Abrar said, "Despite time and resource constraints, lack of accountability and proper planning are becoming challenges. In many cases, work that could have been done was not accomplished, leading to frustration."
He said teachers and trainers were not provided with adequate training, which was extremely urgent.
"The existing discrimination in women's inclusion in technical education could not be resolved. If proper training could be provided and stigma reduced, this sector could also bring in substantial foreign currency," added the education adviser.
At the event, Professor MA Razzak, chairman of Research and Policy Integration for Development, said, "To bridge the gap between Bangladesh's academia and industry, it is essential to introduce a three-month internship programme for fresh graduates."
"The country now needs to create two million new jobs annually. At the current rate, Bangladesh can create eight to ten lakh jobs. Bangladesh will fall behind in the global market if this continues," he added.
Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, professor of Dhaka University's Department of Development Studies, said many educational institutions in Bangladesh lack proper equipment, making quality research impossible. Many students cannot study properly.
"System costs would be significantly reduced if an inter-university loan facility is introduced among Bangladesh's public universities to address these lackings," he added.
Titumir said, "Every university in the world admits students in July and completes programs in June after four years. However, Dhaka University seems to have no concern about this."
"If we could align with other universities worldwide, our country's economy would become more prosperous. Because when a Dhaka University student doesn't graduate on time, the economic loss in terms of opportunity cost is significant," he added.
At the event, Abu Yusuf, a professor from the Department of Development Studies, presented a paper on revenue and expenditure calculations for the current budget in the education and employment sectors.
Also present were Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Niaz Ahmed Khan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Sayma Haque Bidisha, and Treasurer Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
