Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Monday stressed the need for skills development to bring remittance in higher volume.
The size of the global remittance market is US$1208 billion but until now Bangladesh annually receives only around $16 billion, he said while speaking at the Bangladesh Bank Remittance Award handing over ceremony in the capital.
The minister said the fourth industrial revolution is now knocking on the door. If it is not implemented in Bangladesh, how the workers will learn.
"When you are going abroad, you will see no manual system. Now you can't clean roads or run welding machines manually," he said.
Mr Kamal also said now machines will clean roads and welding machines will run automatically.
"You have to go abroad taking appropriate preparations." If Bangladeshi workers go abroad acquiring required skills, they will also get honour and best value of labour they provide, he said.
Mr Kamal said he saw many Filipinos working abroad know three to four types of works.
"One Filipino who works as a driver also knows how to repair air-conditioners and also knows other works. But Bangladeshi workers know only one work there," he said.
The minister said India is the top recipient of remittance globally, followed by China. The third one is the Philippines though being less populous country compared to Bangladesh.
The Philippines receives $34 billion in remittance only having slightly over 100 million people while Bangladesh being a country of 160 million people gets only $16 billion in remittance annually, he said.
"We have to give proper attention to attaining the capability," he said.
Some 36 awards were handed over to remittance earners, businessmen, senders, banks and exchange houses.
In bank category, Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd, Sonali Bank, Janata Bank, Agrani Bank and Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd were given the award for their excellence in channelling remittance to the country.
Bangladesh Bank governor Fazle Kabir, financial institution division senior secretary Ashadul Islam, central bank deputy governor Ahmed Jamal and top remittance senders--Imrul Hosen Bhuiyan and Aftab Hosen--also spoke on the occasion.
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