Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Freelancer Development Society (BFDS), an organisation representing freelancers, estimates the figure to be $300 million.
Bangladesh’s performance in ICT service exports remains low. The recently published Network Readiness Index gave the country a score of just 8.03 out of 100 in this category.
Professor BM Mainul Hossain from the Institute of Information Technology, University of Dhaka, pointed out that multiple ministries are conducting similar projects independently, leading to inefficiency. He suggested that such initiatives should be centralised under a single authority.
Although the previous government frequently emphasised the need for coordination among industry, academia, and government, there is no clear framework for achieving this.
Professor Hossain also criticised the lack of stakeholder involvement in identifying domestic and international market needs.
He argued that the root issue lies in the very conception of these projects, emphasising the urgent need for fundamental changes in their execution.
* The report, originally published in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat
Source: Less focus on developing skills, rush to create freelancers
