Plea for more polytechnic institutes

Agriculture is the major economic sector in Bangladesh. More than three-tenth contribution in GDP comes from agriculture. The contribution of industrial sector in GDP is also about fifteen percent. Economists agree that industrial development is the fastest way to enhance livelihood of mass people. And industrial development needs technically qualified skilled manpower.

The population of Dhaka in 1950s was about eight hundred thousand. There was one polytechnic institute in Dhaka to impart diploma (under graduate) technical education at that time. Dhaka became the capital of independent Bangladesh. It is now a metropolitan city as well. The number of students has increased manifold. For ten million inhabitants additional ten-twelve polytechnic institutes needed to be set up here. As private sector has not come forward to impart undergraduate technical education, government has to take the initiative. Therefore we urge the government authorities concerned to set up and run ten-twelve polytechnic institutes in the Metropolitan Dhaka.