In today’s world, a nation’s true strength lies not merely in its population, territory, or natural resources, but in its capacity to generate knowledge, foster innovation, and develop new technologies. The foundation of this capacity is Research and Development (R&D). History bears witness: countries that have prioritised research and innovation have established global leadership in technology, economics, and quality of life. Behind nearly every major technological breakthrough, medical innovation, agricultural revolution, or industrial advancement in today’s world lies consistent, long-term investment in R&D.
In today’s knowledge-based world, scientific and technological research is no longer a luxury; it is a prerequisite for development. Without adequate investment in this sector, achieving rapid economic growth, industrialisation, and remaining competitive becomes increasingly difficult. Therefore, how much a country invests in R&D becomes a reliable indicator of its future prosperity. This is especially true for a country like ours, burdened with a massive population and natural adversities, where research-based fundamental solutions become even more critical.
While the global average for R&D expenditure stands at approximately 2.0% of GDP, Bangladesh according to a survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), spends only 0.30% of its GDP on research and development, placing it among the lowest spenders in the world. This means Bangladesh’s investment in research and innovation lags significantly behind international benchmarks. Furthermore, R&D expenditure in the country is not allocated under a unified national research budget. Instead, it is fragmented across various ministries and institutions covering science and technology, agriculture, health, higher education, information technology, and other sectors. As a result, adequate investment, coordinated planning, and the development of sustainable capacity in research and innovation remain far from ideal.
Developed nations assign the highest priority to R&D, investing significant portions of their GDP in this sector. Advanced and rapidly developing economies spend between 1% and 3% or even more, of their GDP on R&D. Based on the latest available data for 2025, a comparison of R&D spending as a percentage of GDP reveals: South Korea 5.0%, United States 3.5%, Japan 3.4%, Germany 3.1%, China 2.6%, France 2.5%, United Kingdom 2.1%, and Canada 1.85%. In the same year, neighbouring India spent 0.70% of its GDP on R&D and has plans to raise this to 2% by 2030. In contrast, Bangladesh continues to spend a negligible fraction of its GDP on R&D.
Although the budget of the Ministry of Science and Technology has grown in nominal terms, not all of it is directly spent on R&D. It also includes atomic energy, infrastructure, development projects, and administrative costs. The inadequate budget allocation for the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) clearly highlights the limitations of the research sector. In the country’s most prestigious institution, the University of Dhaka, out of a total budget of Tk1,035 crore for fiscal year 2025-26, only Tk21.57 crore, roughly 2.08%, has been allocated for research. Similarly, Jahangirnagar University has set aside just over Tk9 crore for research and innovation from a total budget of Tk323 crore, equaling 2.85%. The situation at other universities across the country is largely the same.
Singapore’s example of prioritising R&D to transform a country’s economy is effective. Sixty years ago, it was among the world’s poorest nations, with no natural resources. Yet over the past few decades, it has transformed itself into a global innovation hub. The Singapore government annually allocates over 1% of its GDP to Research, Innovation, and Enterprise (RIE). Its latest ‘RIE2030′ master plan has earmarked a record US$27 billion for this sector. Inspired by this massive public investment, the private sector is now also pouring billions into research. Through well-directed research budget allocation, Singapore has captured a leading position in the global markets for biomedical sciences, semiconductors, and advanced technologies, transforming itself into a high-income, developed economy.
One need not look far for examples of research paying dividends. Over the past few decades, our population has multiplied many times over, while the amount of arable land has decreased rapidly and alarmingly. Despite this challenge, we have managed to produce sufficient food, thanks to improved methods, seeds, and fertilisers developed by our own scientists.
The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has recently developed rice varieties that are salinity-tolerant, high-yielding, disease-resistant, and rich in Vitamin E, playing a significant role in improving climate resilience and nutritional security. The primary reason for this success is that agriculture receives the highest share of research spending in Bangladesh. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ National Research and Development Survey, nearly one-third of the country’s total research expenditure goes toward food security and increasing crop production. Institutions like Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) lead this effort.
Bangladesh is set to face several critical challenges over the coming decades. Rapidly evolving technology, global competition, and the transformation of the labour market are simultaneously creating both new opportunities and new risks for the country. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, automation and AI are expected to displace around 92 million jobs globally by 2030, while simultaneously creating 170 million new roles. Since Bangladesh’s economy remains heavily labour-dependent, this shift poses a significant risk to a large portion of the country’s workforce. Yet it also presents an opportunity as reskilling today will be best positioned to capture the jobs of tomorrow.
China’s ‘Thousand Talents Programme’ offers an effective model. Through this initiative, which provides financial support and opportunities to conduct research at institutions of their choice, China has rapidly elevated its research standards to an international level, attracting both domestic and foreign researchers. Similarly, India has long been bringing back overseas experts and leveraging their knowledge and experience across various sectors, achieving remarkable progress. Bangladesh must follow this path. To do so, it is essential to ensure adequate funding for research, create a conducive working environment for researchers, and build world-class research infrastructure.
We must increase R&D investment now and adopt a clear roadmap to raise it to at least 1% of GDP in the future. Alongside this, we need to increase university research budgets, fund innovative startups, modernise research infrastructure, and take initiatives to develop a technology-skilled workforce. Through these measures, the country can navigate the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and ensure new employment, high-value-added production, and sustainable economic growth.
Most importantly, achieving sustainable progress in R&D requires strong political will and long-term national policy. Regardless of changes in government, the goal of advancing research, innovation, and the development of a knowledge-based economy must remain the highest priority. Because investment in research is not a short-term endeavour, it is a strategic investment in the nation’s future. If policy continuity can be ensured, Bangladesh can rapidly advance toward an innovation-driven, high-income economy. Investing in research is not merely creating knowledge; it is investing in the future of our country.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author
The writer is a researcher
