Local talents should design engineering products, not just assemble

Bangladesh should encourage its talents to locally design engineering products instead of assembling, said a Bangladeshi-born engineer working in The Boeing Company -- a US-based organisation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rockets, and satellites worldwide.

Ashraf Ali, who has been working in the company since 1997, made the comments yesterday while addressing a seminar titled “Essential Aspects of Aircraft Design & Analysis” at Brac University. The university organised the programme to give an idea about aircraft making.  

"As far as I know, Bangladesh has so far succeeded in assembling engineering products such as motor cycles, small to medium ships. If it wants to propel itself towards higher economic growth path, it needs to start solving complex mathematical problems through domestic design and analysis," said Ashraf.

But the high taxes imposed by the government on raw materials discourage local design work, he said.

"Local design and analysis work can be started from anywhere -- maybe a small part in a motorbike or garment machinery. But it must be started because the assembly type work suffers from tremendous limitation in terms of growth of personal productivity and overall national income."

Prof Syed Saad Andaleeb, vice chancellor of Brac University, asked the students to take note of the changing world and the competition it presents.