Thinking Aloud: Volume VI, Issue 5: October 2019

The October 2019 issue of Thinking Aloud focuses on “The Fourth Industrial Revolution”. The first page article titled “The Political Economy of the Fourth Industrial Revolution” stresses that there is a need for concerted and strategic efforts made by governments in developing countries to face the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution. While countries prepare themselves for embracing the fourth industrial revolution through appropriate economic and labour market policies and strategies, the success will also depend on the ‘inclusiveness’ of these strategic development efforts. The second and third pages of this issue present three articles. The article on “Boosting the Low Productivity in Agriculture Sector in Bangladesh” re-states the importance of agriculture sector for Bangladesh and emphasizes on enhancing the productivity of this sector. The article on “Is Automation a Threat for RMG Workers in Bangladesh?” emphasizes that automation may lead to layoffs and job cuts. Since workers will be replaced by technology and robots. On the other hand, automation may also lead to job creation. Machines need supervision, experience wear and tear, therefore, repair work is necessary and maintenance is required. As a result, some new jobs may be created led by automation. The article on “Promoting Growth and Innovation Through R&D Spending in Bangladesh” highlights that the government can take initiatives to declare the next five years as the priority period for the development of overall capacity of the workforce. By introducing intensive skills training measures and initiatives to boost quality education, the government can amplify the stock of human capital in the country. The fourth page covers the events that took place in the month of September.