PM urges int’l community to ensure easy transfer of technology

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the international community to ensure easy transfer of technology at low cost among the countries across the world to face the possible challenges during the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“The global community has a responsibility to ensure easy transfer of technology at low cost among the countries in the world to face the possible challenges and risks in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era,” she said.

The prime minister made the remarks while addressing the World Economic Forum’s plenary session titled ‘Sustainable Development in the Fourth Industrial Revolution’ at the Plenary Hall of the UN Headquarters here on Tuesday afternoon local time.

Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque briefed reporters after the event.

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina along with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Johnson and Johnson CEO and Mozilla Firefox CEO was invited at the plenary session.

Speakers at the event focused on the activities of different countries to deal with the possible impacts of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in terms of education, job and health.

The invitees were asked to inform what they think about the possible challenges and risks due to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

In response, the prime minister said Bangladesh is a small country having huge population.

“Our biggest challenge is now to ensure food security and provide proper education to the huge population and equip them with technology so that they can get job in the changed situation,” she said.

Talking about Digital Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina mentioned her government’s vision over how Bangladesh can be connected with the world so that all will get benefits from the connectivity.

She stressed the need for the transfer of technology to the countries like Bangladesh at low cost and easily for expediting their development.

“The international community has a responsibility so that we get the technology at low cost and easily as we are not major technology-producing country,” she added.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh needs to make its people technologically skilled by introducing different vocational training programmes so that they can remove risks of losing jobs in the era of industrial revolution.

The prime minister mentioned different programmes in the education sector, including distribution of free textbooks and providing stipends to promote women education in Bangladesh.

“Now more than four crore students are getting stipends in Bangladesh,” she added.

At the outset of his speech at the event, the Dutch Prime Minister congratulated Sheikh Hasina for giving shelter to over one million forcibly displaced Rohingyas.

All participants warmly welcomed this appreciation by clapping hands.