We will witness a rapid shift from labor to tech-based economies in next 10 Years: Zunaid Ahmed Palak MP

With the sole objective to prepare bright young minds through transformative upskilling and helping them get future-ready, Grameenphone’s dedicated platform GP Academy has recently hosted another of its impactful Masterclasses, this time with host Zunaid Ahmed Palak MP, the Hon’ble State Minister of ICT Division, as the Guest Speaker. As the nation eyes an optimistic acceleration towards realizing the Smart Bangladesh vision 2041, the invaluable words and farsighted guidance provided by Guest Speaker at the session is expected to auspiciously transform the thoughts of the attendees, and reshape the idea surrounding the future of the nation among the future leaders.

Over 300 young students from various backgrounds pre-registered to be a part of the Masterclass, and were found exuberant at the arrangement. Held at the GP House recently, the Masterclass saw the State Minister outlining the structure of Smart Bangladesh, its four core pillars – Smart Citizen, Smart Economy, Smart Government and Smart Society – and his expert opinion on how to make the most of the digital shift through acquiring apt skills. He pointed out that even 18 years back, there had been lack of fast and affordable connectivity solutions in Bangladesh. But following the Government’s steadfast approach, backed by Grameenphone and similar organizations’ support, now there are over 127 million internet users in Bangladesh, enjoying seamless internet connectivity.

Addressing the Government’s ‘Triple A’ strategy, Zunaid Ahmed Palak MP said, “Our objective has been to make internet and digital services affordable and available, and create awareness for it. In the next 5 to 10 years, we will witness a rapid shift from labor-based economies to tech-based economies, and we must act immediately to align ourselves accordingly”. He further added, “Our objective now is to generate an innovation ecosystem in Bangladesh, where entrepreneurs and start-ups will thrive. And the ground is ready, with investors from countries like USA, Japan, Singapore and India investing over USD 800 million in our market in the past 6 years. The Government has also invested USD 50 million, as in the next 18 years, we want to create a knowledge-based economy, like Silicon Valley did in the past.” He also lightened up the mood at the event by playing a real-time quiz, and handed over gifts to a lucky winner. A 4-mins animated video was shown at the end, where the attendees discovered the face of a Smart Bangladesh in the future world, and were left enthralled at the incredible prospects ahead. Zunaid Ahmed Palak MP thanked Grameenphone for the initiative, and congratulated the organization for sustaining strongly as the nation’s connectivity partner. 

At the event, Grameenphone CEO Yasir Azman sat among the mentees, as he proudly declared himself a student for the day. “I believe that I also have many things to learn, and it is indeed a great opportunity for all of us to hear about Smart Bangladesh vision 2041 from one of the key policy makers of the concept, Hon’ble State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak MP himself”, said Yasir Azman. He further added, “It is important that we invest in ourselves today, so we can excel tomorrow. Hence, the TIME is NOW, for us to focus on getting future-fit, and unleash the potential of Bangladesh in the coming days. We must keep an open mind for learning and growing, because the heights of our dreams determine the heights of our next achievements”. 

Hossain Sadat, Senior Director, Corporate Affairs; Farhana Islam, Head of Social Impact; Farhana Hossain Shammu, Program Lead of Grameenphone Academy and other respected officials from Grameenphone were also present during the event.

Grameenphone Academy is an online learning platform (www.grameenphone.academy) which is free of cost for all. The academy also periodically arranges physical sessions on contemporary topic relevant to career, freelancing, entrepreneurship along with 4IR skills.

Since May, 2022, GP Academy has been actively helping the next generation talents reach their desired and deserving destinations beyond barriers. It has so far facilitated near 60 thousand mentees, including near 9 thousand female candidates, helping them upskill ownselves according to the changing needs of the global market. Over 27 thousand certified students from 167 institutes across the country have found GP Academy to be helpful in their journey to reach own personal and professional goals, as the platform continues to play its role as a career launchpad, instilling necessary skillsets within the youth for a prosperous tomorrow.