Bangladesh risks falling behind in the rapidly evolving world of work unless it urgently strengthens skills development, social protection and policy implementation to address the impacts of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), experts warned at a webinar today (15 July).
The webinar, titled “Work in Flux: Foresight for the Future of Work in the Global South,” was organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), LIRNEasia, JustJobs Network, Southern Voice and the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh, with support from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
Presenting CPD’s latest foresight study, Towfiqul Islam Khan, additional research director at CPD, said Bangladesh recently lost around 1.3 million jobs, with women accounting for nearly 90% of those losses.
He warned that automation could threaten up to 1.22 million jobs in the ready-made garment (RMG) sector by 2041, disproportionately affecting low-skilled female workers.
Towfiqul also highlighted Bangladesh’s low public investment in education, noting that spending remains around 1.3% of GDP.
He said technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes remain poorly aligned with the future demands of the labour market.
Chairing the session, CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya said Bangladesh’s biggest challenge is not the absence of policies but weak implementation and poor institutional coordination.
As industries automate to remain competitive following Bangladesh’s graduation from least developed country (LDC) status, he said adequate protection mechanisms for displaced workers are still lacking.
“The technological transition must be actively managed by the state,” he said, warning that failure to do so could deepen inequality.
Helani Galpaya, chief executive officer of LIRNEasia, said the growing gig economy should not be viewed as a universal solution, pointing to the digital divide that limits women’s access to online work.
She added that digital platforms often shift financial and occupational risks onto workers.
Sabina Dewan, president and executive director of JustJobs Network, urged policymakers to focus on improving job quality rather than simply increasing employment numbers.
She called on global brands driving automation in supply chains to help finance worker reskilling initiatives.
“A just transition requires preparing workers before technology replaces them,” she said.
Representing the International Labour Organization (ILO), Gunjan Bahadur Dallakoti stressed the need to support small and medium enterprises in adopting digital technologies while formalising employment and strengthening labour institutions.
Drawing on Latin American experience, Ramiro Albrieu of Argentina’s CIPPEC said countries in the Global South must invest in digital skills to fully utilise their demographic advantage and adopt long-term foresight planning instead of reacting to crises.
The speakers agreed that Bangladesh’s future competitiveness will depend not only on technological adoption but also on coordinated policies that ensure automation creates inclusive, resilient and decent employment rather than widening inequality.
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