A discussion meeting on the future of Diploma in Engineering education took place on Sunday at Daffodil Plaza in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, bringing together private polytechnic entrepreneurs from across Bangladesh to explore strategies for strengthening technical education and developing an industry-ready skilled workforce.
Organised under the theme “United Entrepreneurs, Quality Technical Education and a Skilled Bangladesh,” the meeting brought together entrepreneurs from different districts across the country.
The participants discussed the current state of technical education, the ongoing enrolment crisis, reforms in the assessment and evaluation system, and the development of a competency-based education system aligned with the evolving needs of industry.
The speakers said diploma engineers play an important role in the country’s industrialisation, infrastructure development and economic progress. Private polytechnic institutions have been contributing to building this skilled workforce for a long time. Therefore, there is no alternative to working together by eliminating differences among entrepreneurs to make technical education more up-to-date and of an international standard.
The speakers at the meeting emphasised the need to introduce skill-based, outcome-based and industry-integrated education systems instead of the current examination-based education system.
They said more importance should be given to students’ acquisition of practical skills, lab-based education, project-based activities, training in industries and the enhancement of practical capacity. At the same time, if the necessary reforms are made to the evaluation system for diploma education and skill-based evaluation is introduced, the country’s diploma graduates will become more competitive in the international labour market.
The meeting also heard that the current crisis in the technical education sector was not limited to a single institution; it was an important issue requiring national-level technical education reform. Emphasis was placed on formulating research-based policies by involving all stakeholders from both the public and private sectors and advancing realistic reform initiatives through regular dialogue with relevant government agencies. The entrepreneurs participating in the meeting agreed to build a strong and unified platform for the greater good of the country’s technical education sector.
At the end of the meeting, it was decided to present necessary recommendations to the relevant government authorities by integrating the opinions received for the overall development of the country’s technical education system, protecting students’ interests and building a skilled workforce of international standards. At the same time, it was decided to organise a series of exchange meetings to further strengthen mutual cooperation and unity among private polytechnic entrepreneurs.
The meeting was moderated by Dr Md Tariqul Islam Chowdhury, founder and chairman of CCN Family and CCN Polytechnic Institute, while Dr Md Sabur Khan, founder and chairman of Daffodil Group and Daffodil Polytechnic Institute, was present as the chief guest.