Towards preventing unemployment of the educated

In spite of the welcome channel invasion, the lure of the cable network, the ease of surfing on the net, the charm of international seminars and travel, there are areas where we seem to be have been left stranded on the kerb of information's super highway.

While universities are sprouting as fast as apartment buildings, in many the management are unsure and the students unaware of the relevance of the degree in Bangladesh let alone the international job market the focus of most who are spending a handsome sum for their grooming.

With professionalism depleted by 'trade unionism' due much to self-seeking aspirations of degree-holding dilettantes, the possibility of punitive measures at home have often been drowned by slogans reverberating within the walls of the city. Professionalism has to be established because the possibility of our professionals being barred by overseas as well as home employers is a growing reality.

The role of professional bodies in launching a rescue mission cannot be overemphasised. To say the least, almost all of them have perhaps been caught napping. A longer hibernation could spell disaster and long-term international isolation.

Education in the long run affects urban life. University education has direct relevance to development and physical features that will shape the urban fabric. Sustained good education of professionals can lead to improved living condition perhaps an unsaid yearning in every soul.

Professor Dr. Iqbal Mahmud, now working on PE (professional engineer) certification in Bangladesh, touches today on a topic that should be an eye opener for all professionals (Architects, Engineers, Planners) and the professional associations in Bangladesh.

They say in this country it is easier to get a job than to be fired from one. For a better tomorrow and to ensure employment opportunities, it should be made difficult to keep one. In that effort to acquire competitive quality is ensured the peeping of the sun from behind the dark clouds.

The author is Consultant to the Editor on Urban Issues and Professor, Department of Architecture, BUET