Skilled manpower needed to take the country forward: Salman F Rahman

Prime Minister’ Private Industry and Investment Advisor Salman F Rahman has emphasised the need for creating skilled manpower to take the country forward economically.

Salman F Rahman was addressing a workshop on ‘Formulating National Action for Skill Development’, organised by the National Skills Development Authority when he said: “Foreign workers are taking away four to five billion US dollars’ worth every year through their employment in Bangladesh. This is never desirable for us,” he said, adding that “they can take the money because their efficiency is higher than us in some sectors. We have to increase our efficiency in all of these”.

Salman F Rahman pointed out: “We have long been one of the top producers in the garments industry but the irony is that we still need manpower here from outside. In this case, we haven’t been able to increase the efficiency of our own people.” “Our Prime Minister has set some targets for the country’s economic development. If the targets are fulfilled, we can move to a better position by 2041. But to fulfil these targets, we have to increase our skills.” He reiterated that such progress would not be possible without proper skills development.

Salman F Rahman, also a Member of Parliament, said the Prime Minister has set some issues to enhance efficiency. She has taken the initiative to establish the NSDA. She has also put some sectors, which are more important for the country, under her jurisdiction. “Since this is an important issue, she is looking into the matter herself,” he added. Salman F Rahman cited Japan as an example, saying that some Japanese organisations are working here in Bangladesh, which are taking the people of our country to their country by increasing development in skills.

He said: “In recent times, Japan is said to have taken four lakh workers from nine countries, but Bangladesh was not included there. The Prime Minister then requested Japan to name Bangladesh, in view of which we had an MOU with them. Basically, these four lakh people will go to Japan for construction purposes. But they need to develop their skills in order to serve the purpose of the Japanese,” he added. “The biggest thing is that I will send people to a foreign country by increasing their skills. But if I don’t do it for my own country, it will affect the domestic market,” he noted.

He emphasised the fact that Bangladesh has become digital now, mentioning that many years ago, when the Prime Minister said this, many people had made fun of it. “You may not be aware that 85 per cent of the unions in the country have access to broadband internet through fibre optics. That means there are about 6,000 unions with internet connectivity. The remaining 15 per cent is to be completed within the next year.”

He mentioned that in neighbouring India, people have to pay INR 1,200 for 1 Mbps-speed internet, which Bangladesh has given for only Tk. 500. He talked about bringing the freelancers, who are currently working as programmers for other countries, under a registration list with the information and communication technology (ICT) ministry. He said there are about 10 lakh freelancers in the country and if they can be put on a list, the country’s economy will be further enhanced through them.

Payra Thermal Power Plant

A 1,320-megawatt (MW) coal-based Payra Thermal Power Plant set up on 12 acres of land in Kalapara upazila in Patua-khali  is likely to start production from next December. If everything goes according to the plan, 660 MW of electricity from the power plant will be added to the national grid from December this year. Chinese and Bangladeshi workers are working round the clock to make the power plant fully operational by June 2020.

Sources said that the thermal power plant is a joint venture of the North-West Power Generation Company Bangla-desh Limited (NWPGCL) and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC). Although the project was expected to be completed within 2019, the work got delayed due to various unforeseen events, including workers' dissatisfaction. About 2,600 Chinese and 5,500 Bangali workers are currently working in this power plant. Indonesia's MV Jingheiton, a coal-laden vessel, has unloaded coal at the Payra thermal power station’s jetty as the first step to produce electricity.

Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) sources said that the construction of a 400 KV line through a Korean company and a 230 KV line through a Chinese company to bring power from the coal-based Paira power plant is progressing at a rapid pace. The electricity generated from this plant will be added to the substation of Gopalganj. From there, it will be supplied to the national grid.

On 19 March 2015, a deal was signed between NWPGCL and the CMC to set up the Payra Power Plant. The joint venture was named Bangladesh-China Power Company Limited (BCPCL).  On 29 March 2016, BCPCL signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with consortium of NEPC and CECC for the installation of the power plant.The utility electricity sector in Bangladesh has one national grid with an installed capacity of 21,419 MW as of September 2019. The total installed capacity is 20,000 MW (combining solar power).

In June, a Chinese electrician was killed and seven other employees of 1320 MW Payra Power Plant were injured in a clash between Bangladeshi and Chinese employees amid rumours that a Bangladeshi worker was killed by Chinese employees.

UAE comes to Bangladesh

Salman F. Rahman, advisor to Bangladesh’s prime minister on private industry and investment, led a 20-member government delegation comprising officials from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority and Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority for the meeting in the UAE.

UAE investors lined up several new projects including five free economic zones worth $10 billion in Bangladesh, the plans for which were discussed at the Bangladesh Economic Forum in Dubai.

This was the first time representatives from all three agencies participated in the Bangladesh Economic Forum — a private sector initiative undertaken by UAE-based, non-resident Bangladeshi professionals and entrepreneurs. More than 300 government officials, business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs participated in the day-long international investment conference, which is aimed at strengthening the flow of trade and investment between the UAE and Bangladesh.

Several UAE-based investors expressed interest in developing economic zones and hi-tech parks in Bangladesh. “I am pleased to see strong and genuine interest among UAE-based investors — both UAE national and foreign business groups — in investing in Bangladesh,” Rahman said. He added that Dhaka had seen heavy investments from China, Japan and the US, urging investors from Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to “take advantage of the lower cost of investment, operations and higher return on investment in Bangladesh.” Experts welcomed the proposal, with Dr. Shamsul Alam, member of the country’s planning commission, saying that at this moment, it was the “most desirable thing for the country.”

“To attain the target of our sustainable development goals, we need to have at least $9 billion in investment every year until 2030,” Alam told. “At present, Bangladesh has the most congenial policy regime — foreign investors are enjoying the opportunity of a 100 percent profit repatriation policy,” he added.

However, he said that to attract investment, the country was working on building 100 economic processing zones and 28 hi-tech parks by 2030, with plans in place to get 15 ready in the next five years. Bangladesh’s economy grew at 7.9 percent in 2018. The country is on a growth overdrive and is expected to touch more than 8 percent in the next few years, making it the fastest growing economy in the world. In order to sustain 8 percent plus gross domestic product growth, Bangladesh needs massive foreign and domestic investment which will create employment and ensure sustainable development.

The World Bank estimates Dhaka must spend as much as $10 billion a year by 2020 to bring its power grids, roads and water supplies up to the standard in order to serve its growing population.

Salman F Rahman brought dynamic changes to Bangladesh’s economy

From humble beginnings to a global conglomerate – Salman F Rahman brought dynamic changes to Bangladesh’s economy, growth and global perception.

Bangladesh’s growth is nothing short of a marvel.The government started privatizing some of its manufacturing hubs in the 80s. In 1981, the GDP growth rate shot up to 5.6%, demonstrating a newly formed country’s true potential. Henceforth, trust was put on private players, which is where Salman F Rahman, an innovative entrepreneur was spotlighted. Salman F Rahman had founded the Beximco Group with his brother ASF Rahman in 1972. The company initially exported and imported jute, until he and his brother realized the opportunities before them if they diversify Beximco Group’s business. Salman F Rahman noticed that Bangladesh did not have a strong healthcare and medicine infrastructure. This is where the Rahman brothers diversified their business first. Beximco Pharmaceuticals was born in 1980 as a result, and is presently an international pharmaceutical juggernaut. In 2017, Beximco Pharma’s annual revenue was recorded to be BDT$15.5 billion.

The leadership of the brothers took Beximco Group to new heights. The success in pharmaceuticals motivated them to expand their operations to petroleum, banking, aviation, real estate, textiles, power generation, Information Technology, ceramics, and more. The Beximco Park is a testament to the evolution of the import-export company into a multinational conglomerate.  He is working as the Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Private Sector Industry and Investment Adviser. He is also Member of Parliament from Dohar and Nawabganj.

Owing to his rich experience of more than 45 years in the field, Salman F Rahman was appointed as Awami League’s private sector development adviser. An environment promoting business was created at that time, boosting GDP growth rate by 7.2% in 2016, and 7.1% in 2017. Before that, debt fell by 32.4% in 2015 due to the government’s bullish approach.

Because of the stark Bangladeshi progress, Salman F Rahman has been acknowledged as an asset to the country, prompting Awami League to induct him into their party. On 30 December 2018, Salman will be contesting the General Elections from Dhaka-1, an extremely valued constituency with an electorate of 378,968 (2014).

Rahman’s victory has the potential to heavily alter the economic dynamics for the good. The government is aiming for Digital Bangladesh Vision 2021, where the entire country is integrated into a single digital network. To make that happen, economic dynamics need to be unrestrained but controlled. It’s only possible if the government is led by people who understand the intricacies of the market, the economy, and business.

Bay of Bengal is to become an economic hub

Salman F Rahman recently said that Bangladesh should accelerate the process of turning the Bay of Bengal to a hub of economic uplift through proper utilization of marine resources, which will contribute significantly in attaining the cherished double digit GDP growth. After winning the sea area, he said, the present government is providing special attention to utilizing the resources under water to boost up the economy. “The government is implementing different initiatives to explore the potentialities of the blue economy. We hope that investment will also come in blue economy soon,” he added.

Earlier, a total of 11,8,813 square kilometer maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal was added to Bangladesh after the settlement of longstanding disputes with India and Myanmar.

Connectivity and economic activity are closely related. Asian Development Bank first used the term “economic corridors” in 1998, as a concept for planned development across a geographical space. According to ADB’s theory, an economic corridor has three components -- first is the trade and transport corridor itself, where roads and ports are an integral component, especially in the context of logistics performance, second are the industrial production clusters that produce goods and services, and third are the urban centres that function as major markets and as a source of labour, technology, knowledge, and innovation. The fourth edition of Bay of Bengal initiatives for multi-sectoral, technical, and economic co-operation (Bimstec) was held in Kathmandu, Nepal in August 2018. The main focus of the summit was to increase connectivity between Bimstec nations, including roads, airways, and transmission lines.

Bimstec is the sub-regional group of seven countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of Bay of Bengal. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) has become ineffective, largely due to non-agreement among member countries on issues like connectivity and counter-terrorism, and everyone has been giving more importance to Bimstec in recent times.

The countries dependent on the Bay of Bengal include littoral and landlocked countries that depend on the Bay of Bengal for maritime usage. Historically, the Bay of Bengal has been a highway of transport, trade and cultural exchange between diverse peoples encompassing South Asia and Southeast Asia. Today, the Bay of Bengal region is the convergence of two major geopolitical blocs- the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) promotes regional engagement in the area.

Not just a businessman - Salman F Rahman

Salman F Rahman is not only a businessman. He is visionary, industry captain, he is behind the economic success of Bangladesh.

A nation’s growth and prosperity often depends on the Business and economic development. Any business-notion on part of pioneers brings good result for a nation’s economy. Many examples from history proves that individuals often can be attributed to kick start a nation’s potential as well as its growth. For Bangladesh, Salman F Rahman, the co-founder Beximco, is such a personality. His efforts in setting up a business paradigm and a conducive environment for local businesses has been instrumental for the relatively nascent economy of Bangladesh.

In other words, Salman F Rahman’s efforts have been synonymous with the growth of Bangladesh.

The visionary man - Salman F Rahman

He set up Beximco in 1972 after his family inherited jute mill was nationalized by then Government of Bangladesh in 1971. The business journey started out with seafood exports to target countries including Germany, France, the UK, Netherlands, and Belgium. The initial trajectory soon transformed into a journey towards setting a conglomerate that worked on Bangladesh’s strengths and harnessed its potential as well as gave the country and its trading partners an impetus to invest in Bangladeshi economy. An example for the uninitiated would be Salman’s initiative in the textile, seafood and the pharma industry. That predicament possibly transformed into Bangladesh’s first private stint with the international market and resulted in Salman’s foray into international markets. The polarized status quo resulted in his inclination towards pharma wherein instead of making heavy profits in cash, he chose to import medicines worth the same cost to meet the country’s pharmaceutical demands.


After some years, he decided to manufacture and supply local pharmaceutical requirements from within the country. Consequently, 1976 witnessed the birth of Beximco Pharmaceuticals and since then, Beximco has expanded under his’s vision and guidance. Apart from the company’s growth, he traversed a journey of his own as a businessman and industrialist of note internationally – considering how he shaped the world’s perception towards Bangladesh’s indigenous industries and exports. The associated acumen, vision and experience further resulted in his appointment as the Private Sector Development Affairs adviser to the Bangladesh Awami League President Sheikh Hasina.

Though the country’s rising GDP in the past decade is the testament of the aforementioned, Salman F Rahman’s belief of harnessing the country’s business potential for its enhanced prosperity could further be advanced to enhance, empower and strengthen the country’s economic potential at the political and administrative front.

Is Bangladesh ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

The world is currently experiencing the fourth Industrial Revolution. Is Bangladesh ready?

There is just no point in arguing if it is good or bad, if it will benefit Bangladesh or not. Fourth Industrial Revolution is not something for us to accept or, reject or, regulate

The first Industrial Revolution began in the middle of the 18th century with the invention of the steam engine by Thomas Newcomen. Then, as we entered the second Industrial Revolution, we found a way to mass-produce electricity-based products until the 1970s. The third Industrial Revolution was the digital revolution, with the wave of information and communication technologies which gave birth to the new “knowledge economy.” This has created thousands of new businesses and millions of new jobs, and laid the foundation for a sustainable global economy in the 21st century. 

It is quite challenging for both developed and developing nations. Developed nations would perhaps be able to cope with it because of their technological progress, and their skilled workforce with specialized know-how, training, and experiences. Bangladesh has a large workforce but is it skilled?

At micro or macro levels, each of us is only to get ready – in the government or, in business or, in research. And, move fast. We need to employ our imagination, creativity, innovation without hindrance or, inhibition – for our schools, factories, companies and even government. Some 4,554 Union Digital Centres, e-procurement, 100+ simplified public services, and smart health cards for instance are leading us on the Fourth Industrial Revolution pathway.

Bangladesh has obtained unprecedented technological advancement through the ruling party’s Digital Bangladesh manifesto. However, Bangladesh has failed to develop technology-oriented employment sectors. For instance, despite these positive technological advances, Bangladesh is still lagging behind in the adoption of e-commerce in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). There is no doubt that SMEs contribute significantly to the economy of a country by creating employment opportunities, eradicating poverty, and generating export revenue. To accelerate and augment this economic contribution, the adoption of e-commerce in Bangladesh SMEs is essential. The emergence of globalization and the integration of regional economic growth have introduced new challenges as well as new opportunities for SME development in Bangladesh.