Bangladesh is a nation in South Asia, with a

population of over 163 million people committed to

making a mark in the world as one of the best

destination for IT (Information Technology) and

ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services)

outsourcing. Its current ruling Government coined the

term ‘Digital Bangladesh’ in 2008, with an aim to

make Bangladesh a leader in IT and ITES services by

2021. The small South Asian nation has been

endorsed by Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Gartner

to name a few, for its potential in IT and ITES

service industry.

Bangladesh has been able to attract many IT majors

with cheaper resources on rental, infrastructure and

adequate human capital. The government has invested

in IT sector making Bangladesh more competitive

across nations through its visionary project Digital

Bangladesh 2021! The government attracts companies

in IT, and boasts of 500 IT outsourcing companies

registered with Bangladesh.

Even with commitment to development, Bangladesh is

faced with persistent challenges such as inadequate

infrastructure, electricity shortage, and the like. Some

of the major issues are related to the youth, their

education and the acquired skill sets.

A quarter (27%) of young Bangladeshis never completed primary school and do not have the skills they need for work, that is a total of

over 8 million 15- to 24-year-olds in the country.

Less than 50% of teachers are trained.

There are 44 million illiterates in Bangladesh– the fourth highest rate of any country in the world.

The labor population of Bangladesh is around 77 million, seventh largest country with huge

workforce population, of which only 5% are recorded to be faced with unemployment. However,

about 40% are said to be underemployed with very low wages.

Even though ITES in Bangladesh is developing, same

cannot be said about IT as there is urgency for

development of resources such as competitive talent pool,

infrastructure in ICTs. Many outsourcing companies are

investing in Bangladesh, given its competitive prices on

hourly basis. Indian market on an average costs around

USD20 per employee, per hour and USD10- USD15 in

Philippines whereas it is USD8 in Bangladesh.

However for IT majors like Microsoft, Google, IBM, Sony,

Apple and Facebook to enter or expand in Bangladesh,

skill development has to be enhanced by a huge margin.

Gartner has given Bangladesh a "poor" rating in three

critical areas - infrastructure, skills and intellectual

property security.

Hence to build talent pool is an ultimate need not

only to currently attract investments but also to

sustain the developments of Digital Bangladesh. The

key is to make best use of the new technologies to

build world-class skills in all areas of study especially

in ICTs, and investing in greater infrastructure and

strengthening IP security is essential. With

government realizing importance of investment in

Cloud, Data Centre, Big Data and IT security which

is crucial for development , in Bangladesh. Growth

and sustainability could be achieved when right

emphasis is given to all three components.

Bangladesh is in dire need of training centers that develops

or enhances skills among the youth in various technologies.

Institutes such as Indian Institute of Hardware and

Technology (IIHT) among others are the kind of institutes

that Bangladesh needs. Basically any institute that could

offer rich experience in working with the governments and

individuals of developing nations, where technology

development has become a high priority for the development

of the nation itself. Nations like Liberia, Mozambique have

invested in ventures offered by IIHT Technologies and the

similar institutes in various technology training and are now

reaping the benefits. Existence of such institute will help a

country like Bangladesh in building talent pool and/or

enhancing skills of existing professionals ensuring a

sustainable development.

Corporate Headquarters#15,Sri Lakshmi Complex, 4th Floor, St. Marks Road, Bangalore - 560 001. India

Tel: 91 80 6160 4545 e-mail: franchise@iihttechnologies.comweb: www.iihttechnologies.com/