Development of Human Resources in Bangladesh: An Analysis of Institutional

Supports
Mohammad Shamsuddoha
University of Chittagong

Mst. Dilruba Khanam

Chittagong University

Bangladesh, although an agricultural country, cannot accommodate its growing population in

this sector. To generate employment opportunities for the surplus workforce, it has emphasized
industrialization. However, there is dearth of skilled manpower in Bangladesh both in technical
and management areas. The focus is on the development of general work skills, personnel skills,
and financial management. Development in these areas is essential for the industrial
development of Bangladesh. The open of the industrial sector for private investment increased
the need for skilled manpower tremendously in Bangladesh.

Keywords: Human Resources, Institution, Education

Human Resources are the most powerful propeller of a country’s economic growth and development.
Human Resource Development (HRD) is concerned with improving the aptitudes, skills, abilities,
knowledge, understanding and attitude of the employees of an enterprise (Jucius, 1993). There is a
consensus that the quality of the education system in Bangladesh is deteriorating. This deterioration is
evidenced by declining test scores, graduates with inadequate basic skills, increasing dropout rates and
the widening gap between industry needs and student capabilities (Fisher, 1993; Schargel, 1993).
Businesses have responded to this decline by demanding higher test scores and greater financial
accountability and by implementing their own educational programs (Shalala, 1993). This paper
examines these challenges and argues that business schools must become learning organizations to meet
the demands of students and the workplace. (Lorange, 1996).

Rationale of the study

Government, NGO and other private organizations are working to develop human resources to ensure that
Bangladash can compete in local and global markets. Academicians, researchers, the Government,
decision-makers, and others planners and administrators agree that human resources are the most vital
factor in the industrial development of Bangladesh. Formal training programs (business education,
technical education, technical training, vocational training and other training programs) will play a key
role in the development of its human resources. A survey of the existing literature reveals that little
research has been done on this topic.

Objectives of the study

The objectives of the study were:

1. To examine the support for developing human resources through educational institutes.
2. To document the needed standards of education and training for the development of HRD in
Bangladesh.
3. To unearth the opinion of respondents those who are involved with the Human resource center.
4. To suggest steps to increase institutional support for the further development of HRD programs
and efforts.

Scope and Methodologies of the study

The study included participants from 25 universities (5 Government sponsored, 20 private), the
Government, and private institutions situated in the capital city of Chittagong in Bangladesh. Some of the
respondents were in the city of Dhaka. Data were collected through a questionnaire. In addition, the
websites of participating institutions were reviewed for updated information. In total 300 respondents
were interviewed during the study period. Additional information was obtained by reviewing published
research conducted in the UK, the USA, and locally.
Copyright © 2003 Shamsuddoha & Khanam

70-1
Limitations of the study

The study covered a very limited number of educational organizations. Some participants were neither
motivated nor interested in expressing their honest opinions. The scope of the study was also constrained
by limited available funding.

Analysis of Findings

The major findings of the study are as follows-

Government Role.
The education sector is a priority area for the Bangladesh government and plays significant role
in overall development of Bangladesh. Education is considered a key strategy for effective human
resource development, poverty alleviation, and socioeconomic development, all which contribute to the
national development. There is a pressing need to develop a large part of the population into productive
workers through the coordination and interaction between people, educational institutions, training
programs, and technology. The government, with this end in view, has fostered such development efforts
through educational expansion and quality improvement initiatives in different sub-sectors of the
educational system.

Development in Education sector.

There are sixty-two education development projects they have been allocated Tk.95667.00 lacs
under the Annual Development Program in the current financial year 2001-2002. From this, an allocation
of TK. 94287.00 lacs is for investment projects and TK. 1380.00 lacs are for technical assistance and self-
financed projects. Out of sixty-two projects, eighteen are in the secondary and higher secondary sector
and thirteen are in the technical and vocational sector. Almost half of the projects belong to these two
sectors. They have been allocated a sum of TK. 82642.00 lacs in the present ADP (2001-2002), which is
86.38% of the total ADP allocation in education sector. In the current financial year (2001-2002),
university education has got an allocation of TK. 8150.00 lacs for 19 development projects.
(www.dns3.bdcom.com).

Development in technical and vocational education.

Thirteen development projects are being implemented in the technical education sector. These
projects have been allocated Tk.8150.00 lacs including Tk.8485.40 lacs as project aid. These projects
include: (i) Introduction of SSC vocational course in Non-government high schools in each Thana, (ii)
Establishment of thirteen new vocational training institutes, (iii) Renovation, expansion, and
modernization of the college of Textile Technology and opening of four departments, and (iv)
Modernization of 20 existing polytechnic institutes and the establishment of 18 new polytechnic
institutes.(www.dns3.bdcom.com).

Development in higher education.

In order to accelerate development in higher education, the University Grants Commission
(UGC) is implementing 19 development projects. These projects have been allocated Tk.8150.00 lacs in
the current financial year (2001-2002). The entire amount comes from GOB as grant. The development
projects in higher education sector include the establishment of One Science and Technology University
in each of the 12 greater districts (Where there is no university), and the construction of flats for teachers
and residential halls for the students of Dhaka University. Further information about other development
projects at existing universities is available on the Internet (www.dns3.bdcom.com).

Programs for the expansion of women's education.

Emphasis has been placed on reducing the disparity between males and females in education
sector. In order to expand women's education, nurture empowerment and ensure women's participation in
development activities, female students have been provided with stipends in secondary schools at 460
rural upazillas. Stipend programs have played a landmark role in reducing the dropout rate and increasing
enrollment in secondary education. An additional outcome of stipend program is that the rate of teenage
marriage has decreased rapidly. In order to empower women in education sector, different development
projects are being implemented, such as, Female Secondary Stipend Project, Female Secondary School
Assistance Project (2nd phase), and Establishment of 3 Mohila Polytechnic Institutes at 3 Divisional
Headquarters and an EU assisted Program to Motivate, Train, and Employ Female Teachers in Rural
Secondary schools (PROMOTE). (www.dns3.bdcom.com).

70-2
Impact of development interventions in education sector.
Poor students, especially females are being significantly benefited from the projects. Their
participation in schools has increased. This is not surprising because they are frequently neglected in their
family. The stipend projects are helping assuage the burden of the poor parents in meeting educational
costs. The PROMOTE project has brought opportunities for unemployed women to receive teachers
training in rural areas and to get employment in rural schools. This project is working with the objective
of employing 1000 women in rural secondary schools. With this end in view, several female hostels have
been made at the District and Thana levels to provide accommodations for the female trainees. This
project will offer 839 scholarships as well. This initiative has created inspiration among the female
trainees, who are looking for employment as teachers.

Development in private sector.

In order to reduce the financial burden in the education sector, private sector education is being
encouraged. A large number of schools, colleges, madrasahs, and universities have been established in the
private sector in Bangladesh. At present in private sector of Bangladesh, there are 2846 junior secondary
schools, 15778 secondary schools, 2176 general colleges, 20 polytechnic institutes, 51 vocational training
institutes, 7273 madrasahs, and more than 50 universities. With a view to bringing discipline to private
sector education, initiatives have been undertaken to establish a private service commission to conduct
employment and deployment of teachers of all schools and colleges covered by the MPO scheme.
Initiatives will be taken to amend the Private Universities Act 1992. To expand women's education and
for the empowerment of women, an initiative has been undertaken to establish an Asian University for
women in private sector.

Ongoing policies and programs of Government.

The newly elected government has taken positive steps towards improved governance in
educational management. The cabinet has already made some important decisions for educational reform,
such as,
(a) A national expert committee has been formed to identify the possible areas of reforms in
education sector The committee will submit its report soon.
(b) Education ministry is to prepare an action plan for the improvement of quality in education by
motivating teachers to their profession and recruiting quality teachers for vacant posts. A
committee has been formed for making recommendations in this regard. The committee will
submit its report soon.
(c) Six language centers are to be established at six divisional headquarters for training in
communicative English. Besides English, there will be provisions for learning foreign languages
such as Arabic, French, Japanese, Chinese, and German.
(d) Computer education is to be made popular at all stages of education. Ten thousand computers
are to be distributed to equal number of secondary schools as a follow up of this policy. This
program is being implemented now and will cover a three- year period.
(e) In order to enhance the status of teachers in the eyes of the students and the community,
Nineteenth January has been declared as the "Teacher's Day".
(f) A Retirement Benefit Foundation for non-government teachers has been established so as to
extend financial support to the non-government teachers after their retirement.
(g) Three new Science and Technology Universities are being setup. This will expand and
encourage the development of science and technology in the country.
(h) An MOU has been signed between the Government of Bangladesh and the European
Parliament for the establishment of the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh. This will
encourage female education in the country further and focus on the empowerment of women in
Asia.
(i) The government has decided to expand the existing female stipend program from secondary
level to higher secondary level and to make tuition fees free for all girl students up to grade xii.
(www.dns3.bdcom.com).

Allocation of Budget in Education sector comparison to all sectors.

70-3
Table 1: Government Budget on Education and percentage of allocation over all sectors.

Year Revenue Budget

All Sector Education % of all sector

1990-91 RB 73102.4 11820.1 16.17

1991-92 RB 79000.0 13815.8 17.49

1992-93 RB 85100.0 16743.9 19.68

1993-94 RB 91500.0 18057.5 19.73

1994-95 RB 103000.0 20077.3 19.49

1995-96 RB 118139.2 21514.5 18.21

1996-97 RB 125349.1 22955.4 18.21

1997-98 RB 145000.0 26957.4 18.59

1998-99 RB 167650.0 29680.0 17.70

1999-2000 RB 184440.0 32567.2 17.76

2000-2001 RB 196330.0 35996.6 18.23

[Source: Website of Education Ministry of Govt. Republic of Bangladesh]
It is clear that Government supports the development of efficient human resources in Bangladesh. Govt.
has played a vital and significant role.

Future Plan and Strategies in post-primary education

Make an executive decision to (a) Establish a Teaching Service Commission to streamline teacher
recruitment, training and deployment for primary and post-primary education both in government and
non-government schools, (b) Operationally reform textbook printing, publishing, and distribution, (c)
Consolidate a sector-wide system for public expenditure tracking in education, (d) Revise and implement
the secondary, (e) Encourage the expansion of private TVET system, (f) Disseminate widely the strategic
plan for higher education, (g) Establish an independent accreditation mechanism for private universities,
and (h) Establish quality assurance mechanisms for public and private colleges and universities.

The Role of Other Institutions

There are 17 state universities, 51 Private universities, 51 vocational institutions, and more than 25
NGO’s who are working hard to develop human resources through technical, educational, and specific
purpose job oriented training supports (www.ugc.com). In institutions who are specialized for a specified
service like BBA, MBA, Executive MBA, Insurance Management, International studies, Company MBA,
Pharmacy Management, or Library Science, specific training and integrated educational modules are
given to the learners.

A summary of some of these specialized programs follows.

Cost and Management Education.

The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh and Institute of Chartered
Accounts of Bangladesh, an autonomous professional body under the Ministry of Commerce in
Bangladesh, is the only Institution in the country dedicated to Cost and Management Accounting
education and research. The Institute's mission is to develop and promote the Cost and Management
Accounting profession by maintaining highest professional standards of its members in order to enable

70-4
them to provide better services to the society. The Institute spearheads the formulation and
implementation of national cost accounting standards. Its goal is to help Bangladesh become an
industrialized nation by promoting and regulating Cost and Management Accounting profession towards
a market economy to enhance economic competitiveness and quality of life. The Institute was
reconstituted under the Cost and Management Accountants Ordinance, 1977 (Ordinance No. LIII of
1977) and regulated by the Cost and Management Accountants Regulations, 1980 (www.icmab.com)

Business Education.
Business education is tremendously expanded in Bangladesh. Most of the state universities and
private universities provide business education based on models and materials developed in the west,
particularly from the UK and USA. Out of 17 state universities, more than 10 are providing Business
education through their own business faculty. They seek to develop better methods of education which
will allow their students to be seen as valuable resources and help them find jobs. Of the 51 private
universities, more than 40 are providing Business education for same purpose.

IT Education.
Some of the schools are providing IT education like Software programming, Computer science,
Network engineering and E-commerce technology. Some are private franchise groups that do not provide
degrees but rather specific vocational skills in IT.

Table 2 Trends of Choices the Courses by potential students

Course Name Percentage
Professional Education 11.70%
Business Education 34.90%
Science Education 20.40%
Social Science 18.70%
Vocational Training 9.60%
Purpose Oriented Education & Training 11.20%
Not Decided 8.20%
100+
[Source: Field Survey, N = 300]
Table 2 shows the focus areas of students who participate in education for self-development. The
percentage exceeds 100 because some of the sample respondents answered more than one. The survey
shows that Business education is in the greatest demand by human resource developers and entrepreneurs.

Vocational Education & Training.

Those who are not able to do well in primary and secondary level education in Bangladesh, may
not earn a diploma yet may still do well in a vocational training program. Such programs offer the
participant another opportunity to succeed and become more employable.

Quality of Trainer.
The quality of the teacher or trainer plays a significant role in the success of any educational
program. In Bangladesh most of the teachers are using traditional methods and working from old scripts
that are not up-to-date with current thinking. Students have recently begun to question the quality of
instruction and this is providing some motivation for the development of stronger teacher education
programs.

Table 3 The Most demanded Teaching methods for Trainer

Method No. of Respondents Percentage

Understanding or Script Lecture 300 27%
Case Method Lecture 300 15%
Review & Updated Lecture 300 07%
Presentation Method 300 23%
Practical organization Field Work Method 300 17%
Others 300 11%
[Source: Field Survey]
Table 3 shows that audience are very much like to see the trainer as subject matter expert who knows
every in and out of the topic which they are teaching. Most of the students surveyed stressed that
understanding the subject was of primary importance to them.

70-5
Table 4 Opinion of the respondents towards Trainer efficiency
Variables Average Score
Clearing Thinking 2.0
Empathy 1.5
Sufficient expertise in relevant content 1.5
Humility 1.0
Resourcefulness 2.0
Knowing how to find information 2.0
Intuition 1.5
Patience, tolerance and good humor 2.5
Presentation Skills 2.0
Flexibility 1.0
Facilitation 1.0
Confidence 2.5
Ability to let go or Understanding lacking 1.0
Average 1.65
Table-4 shows the average score for each of the thirteen variables used in the survey. The aggregate score
of 1.65 indicates a moderate level of efficiency.
Placement of the Learner
After completing the courses like an MBA, Other Masters, IT education or other training
programs, where are the students finding work? In Bangladesh, there is tremendous employment crisis
and good jobs are sometimes quite impossible to secure. The private universities do better in this regard
as they are in frequent contact with large companies and frequently arrange seminars, conference,
workshop, etc. By this way they have increased access for their students. The total numbers of students
who participate in such programs are relatively few when compared with the number of students in state
universities. The state universities put more than 2500+ students into the market with a graduate or
postgraduate education. There are more than 17 state universities and sometimes the figure will exceed
the mansion figure. Out of 2500, 30-40% of the students find decent work; the rest struggle.

Table 5. Placement of the graduate to the various sectors

Degree From Sample Govt. Sector Private Sector Banking Sector MNC Others Total
Public 100 5 43 18 4 30 100
University
Private 100 3 56 19 6 16 100
University
Vocational 50 2 32 2 1 13 50
Training
Institute
Diploma 50 1 31 3 1 14 50
General 50 1 36 2 1 10 50
Training
Specialized 40 6 30 5 2 7 40
Training
[Source: Field Survey]
Table 5 shows that the opportunities for finding a job in government or a multinational after upon
graduation from one of the institutes are few. The greatest opportunities are in the private and banking. In
Bangladesh both sectors are doing well.

Satisfaction of the People

Assessing the level of satisfaction felt by graduates of these programs is difficult. In most cases
graduates of these programs still need additional training to be seen as competent and valuable to the
hiring organizations,.

Problem of HRD through Institutional supports

Based on a review of the literature and our study, the major problems of developing human resources in
Bangladesh are:

70-6
 Lack of Government Initiative. While the government says it supports human resource
development it does not provide adequate funding. There is no nation-wide research regarding the
quantity and quality of HRD programs.

Lack of infrastructure. While educational institutions may offer strong programming to develop
valuable and salable skills, they lack the facilities to deliver these programs in an efficient and effective
manner.

Lack of Quality. The quality of these institutions is very uneven. Some do not provide quality
teachers, materials or other resources needed for students to succeed. The government is casual in its
oversight of programs.

Lack of Co-ordination. Human resource development activities are not well coordinated. There
is no coordination among the primary, secondary, and tertiary education systems. The quality, syllabus
structure, teaching methodologies, styles, and facilities for the same courses or topics differ from
institution to institution.

Lack of investment. Both the government and private sector provide few resources for HRD in
Bangladesh. All the plans for HRD are handicapped by the scarcity of funds.

Lack of trained instructor. Experienced, efficient, and trained instructors or teachers are a rarity
in Bangladesh. The lack of funding makes it difficult to hire qualified instructors.

Lack of Facilities. Technologies to support of learning (Multi media, OHP, Internet,

Computerized program, and other audiovisual devices) are almost absent in Bangladesh. This lack of
facilities constrains the development of HRD programs.

Lack of Communication. HRD programs are not evaluated in Bangladesh. Because of this there
is little communication between educators and students and little opportunity to make improvements to
the programs or course.
Improper Licensing. Government has approved so many institutions for human resource
development without any given guidelines, rules, or conditions. This lack of standards allows many
opportunities for the establishment of fraudulent programs.

Recommendations for HRD through Institutional support

Government initiatives. To develop his human resources to compete locally and globally; the
government has to take major steps to create institutions, increasing the infrastructure, and make
additional financing available.

Proper planning and coordination. Effective planning and proper coordination is for a
requirement for the development of human resources. Effective planning and coordination is equally
significant for both the private and public sectors in Bangladesh. The educational infrastructure should be
updated.

To invest in Human Resources Development. Government and non-government policymakers

should emphasize and invest more in HRD programs and encourage others to also make such
commitments. Moreover, they have to provide some “soft financing” in the form of tax or VAT
exemptions, tax credits and loan facilities.

To create more institutions and training centre. Presently, the institutes for educational,
technical, professional, vocational and other specialized training institutions are too few to meet the
overall demand or need in Bangladesh. Additional institutions should be established for the sake of
human resource development.

To recruit trained instructors. Financial and other incentives should be provided to recruit and
retain well-qualified trainers and instructors

To create employment opportunities & Proper Placement. After establishing or investing in

HRD, Govt. and NGO should create jobs that offer graduates appropriate employment opportunities.

70-7
 Modern equipment & infrastructure facility. The institutes need modern equipment and facilities.
Given the rapid pace of technological development, these facilities and technologies must be monitored
frequently to keep them up-to-date.

To ensure the quality. Creating and financing such institutions or programs is not enough.
Everyone involved in HRD must work together and coordinate their efforts to ensure the ongoing quality
of education and training in Bangladesh.

Final comments

The role of institutions for developing human resources is enormous. This is true for all nations.
Bangladesh has a tremendous opportunity to develop its human resources and emerge as a leader.
Efficient HRD can provide a needed competitive advantage in the global economy. The development of
effective private and public HRD programs must be made a top priority for Bangladesh.

References

Fisher J. (1993), “TQM: A warning for higher education”, Education Record, Spring, pp. 15-19
Lorange, P., “A Business School as a Learning Organization”, The Learning Organization., Volume 3,
Number 5, 1996, pp.5-13
Michael J. Jucius, personnel Management,(Homewood, Illinois) Richard D. Irwin, INC., 1979,p.221.
Schragel. F. (1993)”Total Quality in Education”, Quality Progress, October, pp. 67-69.
Shalala. D. (1993),”TQM applications in Education”, Executive Excellence, May, pp. 6-7.
http://www.dns3.bdcom.com, Education Ministry, government Republic of Bangladesh.
http://www.govfinance.org
http://www.icmab.com
http://www.ugc.com

70-8