Nafew Sajed Joy
As the global economy moves further into the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), industries across the world are being reshaped by an array of transformative technologies, from artificial intelligence and blockchain to cloud computing and the Internet of Things. The boundaries between the physical and digital worlds are dissolving, creating a landscape defined by automation, connectivity, and intelligent systems. Manufacturing, media, healthcare, and education have all stepped into this new reality, but amid these sweeping shifts, Bangladesh’s publishing and printing industries, long the guardians of the nation’s knowledge, culture, and creative heritage, find themselves standing at a decisive crossroads.
Built on tradition yet pressed to modernise, these industries now confront two urgent questions: are they truly prepared to embrace the disruptions of the 4IR, and can they align themselves with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the world approaches 2030? The answers will determine not only the future of these industries, but also the broader trajectory of Bangladesh’s intellectual and cultural development.
One of the long-standing challenges begins with a matter of recognition. Although publishing and printing have played central roles in shaping Bangladesh’s educational and cultural identity, they are commonly referred to as “sectors,” a term that simplifies their complexity. In reality, they function as robust and interconnected industries, with their own value chains, economic contributions, and market dynamics. This mislabeling has real consequences: when an industry is perceived as a smaller subset of something else, it receives less attention from policymakers, less investment, and less support for modernisation. Bangladesh’s publishing and printing industries have suffered from exactly that.
For decades, they have helped expand literacy, preserve cultural knowledge, and enrich the country’s intellectual landscape. Yet systemic neglect, limited institutional backing, and outdated methods have slowed their evolution. A recent field study (Joy & Rahman, 2025) reveals a consistent pattern of technological stagnation, digital skill gaps, and institutional bottlenecks. While international publishers integrate automation, AI, and digital workstreams, many Bangladeshi publishers continue to depend on manual processes and traditional distribution.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution itself, first described by Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum, represents far more than simple digitisation. Building upon earlier revolutions powered by steam, electricity, and computing, the 4IR introduces systems that learn, analyse, adapt, and respond in real time. For publishing and printing, this means rethinking not only how books are produced, but how content is created, customised, distributed, consumed, and monetised. Yet Bangladesh’s progress in this direction remains slow. Cloud computing is used by only 11 out of 30 surveyed publishers, who often cite weak infrastructure and limited digital literacy. AI integration is shallow and largely confined to social media and graphic design, with the absence of strong Bengali-language AI tools posing a major limitation. IoT and blockchain, which are revolutionising global production, logistics, and copyright systems, remain virtually untouched in Bangladesh.
These technological gaps sit atop deeper structural challenges. Rampant piracy, amplified by platforms like Sci-Hub and LibGen, continues to erode revenue and discourage digital adoption. Weak copyright enforcement leaves publishers feeling vulnerable. Much of the nation’s printing infrastructure is outdated, dominated by manual or legacy systems that cannot keep pace with global standards. The absence of digital training is equally damaging; as Bangladesh braces for the possible displacement of millions of unskilled workers through automation (McKinsey, 2020), digital upskilling becomes indispensable. Cultural resistance also plays its part. Many veteran publishers view technology with suspicion, fearing that automation threatens creativity, tradition, and the craft of publishing itself.
Sustainability adds another layer to this complex landscape. Even as global industries adopt greener production methods, Bangladesh’s printing and publishing ecosystem continues to struggle with environmental, social, and economic sustainability. During fieldwork conducted in Fakirapool, Nilkhet, and Bangla Bazar (Joy & Rahman, 2025), deep-rooted gender inequality emerged as one of the most alarming findings. Among 375 workers across 60 printing houses, not a single woman was employed- an outright violation of SDG 5. Basic hygiene and sanitation were also severely lacking; nearly half of the presses lacked proper sanitation facilities, and more than a dozen had no clean drinking water, undermining SDG 6. Workers reported cramped, unsafe conditions, persistent exposure to hazardous chemicals, and ongoing health risks. Environmentally, the scale of negligence is overwhelming. In Fakirapool alone, printing presses generate around 3,500 tons of white paper waste and 82 tons of container waste each month (Tabassum et al., 2017), much of which ends up in illegal dumping sites, harming surrounding communities.
The contrast with global best practices is stark. International publishers like Penguin and Random House follow Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for sustainable paper sourcing and employ environmentally responsible production systems. Such standards remain rare in Bangladesh. Without meaningful adoption of green printing technologies, ISO 14001 compliance, and responsible sourcing, the country’s publications risk falling short of global expectations and losing competitiveness in international markets.
Yet the path forward remains hopeful. With deliberate action, these industries can reposition themselves for a sustainable and technologically advanced future. Government incentives and modernisation grants could support the adoption of 4IR technologies and greener infrastructure. Universities, especially the Department of Printing and Publication Studies at the University of Dhaka, can take the lead in digital training, research, and innovation. Stronger collaboration between publishers, academia, and tech startups could accelerate local digital solutions. Copyright reforms, supported through blockchain experimentation, could bring long-awaited transparency to royalties and intellectual property protection. At a deeper level, the industries must commit to social and environmental responsibility, drawing inspiration from Professor Muhammad Yunus’s “Three Zeros” vision: Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions.
As 2030 approaches, the stakes are clear. These industries have the opportunity to reinvent themselves- integrating technology without abandoning tradition, strengthening sustainability without sacrificing creativity. The alternative is slow marginalisation in an increasingly competitive global environment.
The writer is a Researcher, writer, and environmentalist
