The government plans to establish artificial intelligence (AI) training centres in Sylhet to equip young people with skills for freelancing and international IT work, Commerce, Industry and Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said.
The initiative will begin in Sylhet and later expand to other districts of the division, aiming to create skilled workers who can earn foreign currency through freelancing and bring overseas IT-related work to Bangladesh.
Addressing a reception organised by the Jalalabad Student Welfare Association, Dhaka University branch, for freshers and graduating students at the university’s Teachers-Students Centre auditorium, Muktadir said, “Initially, we will start in Sylhet and then take it to other districts of the division. We will establish several AI training centres there.”
Highlighting Sylhet’s potential in freelancing, the minister noted that many young people from the region are already earning between $500 and $5,000 a month through such work, while some highly skilled freelancers earn significantly more.
The proposed training centres are intended to develop AI and technology skills among the next generation, enabling them to become self-reliant, increase foreign currency earnings and attract international IT assignments to Bangladesh.
Muktadir also stressed the importance of long-term investment in education, healthcare, research and innovation, describing these sectors as the foundation for building skilled human resources and sustaining economic growth.
The government has identified education and healthcare as priority areas and aims to gradually raise investment in both sectors towards 5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), he added, describing the target as a long-term objective.
Turning to Sylhet’s education indicators, the minister expressed concern over the region’s performance in literacy, school availability, pass rates and students’ reading and numeracy skills compared with national averages.
The challenges, however, are not linked to a lack of talent among people from Sylhet, according to Muktadir. He pointed to the community’s achievements in education, politics, business and various professions in countries including the United Kingdom and North America.
The minister called for a closer look at infrastructure, institutional capacity, leadership and other structural factors behind the region’s educational challenges.
Urging university students to make better use of higher education opportunities, Muktadir said academic life should focus not only on obtaining degrees but also on developing leadership, research and innovation capabilities.
