Plug the brain drain

As a developing country, Bangladesh is a victim of brain drain. Generally, this issue is more prevalent among students who have access to higher education abroad. Although a large number of students migrate abroad for higher studies every year, the rate of return is declining alarmingly. According to UNESCO's "Global Flow of Tertiary-Level Students" report, 60,390 Bangladeshi students were pursuing higher studies abroad in 2017. This number is increasing at the rate of 10 percent every year. Most of them are settling permanently in those countries after completing their studies.

In our country, the idea of living abroad permanently is viewed as something prestigious. The potential of Bangladesh becoming an incompetent nation is not visible to most people. Besides high salaries, developed countries ensure a more secure life. These facilities are still inadequate in our country.

The inconsistency of the education system in Bangladesh and the inability to ensure world-class education is one of the reasons behind brain drain. When a research enthusiast realises that his/her lifelong dream cannot be fulfilled in their own country, he/she will naturally want to go abroad. According to the annual report of the University Grants Commission (UGC), 125 public and private universities of the country altogether spent only Tk 153 crore on research activities in 2019, which is only one percent of their total expenditure.

Rich nations are also indirectly luring talented people from less-developed and developing countries to contribute to their own development. But it would be foolish to view Bangladesh's brain drain only through the few reasons mentioned above. Firstly, we must understand exactly which factors are discouraging a highly educated person from settling permanently in their homeland.

State policymakers need to think about issues related to quality of life, employment opportunities, social structure, financial security, development, gender equality, and freedom of all walks of life. After all, a state can only become full of opportunities with the contribution of its most skilled people.

Syed Rifat, Jagannath University