Search for gainful investment opportunities
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Amirul Islam
EDUCATION opportunities in Bangladesh, especially opportunities for higher education, technical education and specialised education, are rather limited. This again is causing a drain on the country's precious forex reserve as many thousands of Bangladeshi students go abroad every year for higher education, quality education or specialised education.
This outflow of the student population which is proving wasteful for the country can be stopped with the establishment of high class institutions of higher or specialised learning in the country. Investments in this market so far have been scanty but it has promising prospects. High class medical colleges and universities, engineering colleges and universities, polytechnics, various types of skill building or training institutes, etc., if set up and operated in the country with high standard, would very likely be successful in terms of the number of students taking admission in them and the fees charged from the students. The fees of such institutions, though high, would likely be less than the fees charged by foreign institutions and this would be an incentive for our students to get themselves admitted in such institutions in large numbers. Besides, the creation of skilled human resources in the country would be much speeded up from the coming into being of such educational institutions and the national economy could get a boost from this development.
The supplementary benefits to setting up centres of excellence in the health and education spheres can turn Bangladesh into a regional hub for these services. India at present is monopolising the regional trade in education and health services. A large number of them could come Bangladesh's way if we can operate these institutions competitively and offer good services.
Then, there are other areas which might not have so much impact like medical care and education but investments in these as well can lead to satisfactory returns for the investors. For example, investments in fitness or health centres are a highly prospective area of investment that has not been tapped well. A few health or fitness centres have been set up in the suburban areas of Dhaka and these are doing good business. But the market demand for such centres is wide and has not been met. Thus, there is scope for the investors to try their hand in investing in this area.
The government seems bent on popularising the use of gas in the transportation sector. This has opened up a fertile new field of investment. Investment in CNG conversion facilities can be a gainful sphere of activity. Some entrepreneurs can try joint ventures with foreign firms to establish CNG-operated light vehicles. Industries to produce such vehicles can prove to be a good investment outlet.
A very prospective field -- tourism -- has been hardly tapped. The private sector in Bangladesh, in collaboration with foreign investors, can set up resorts and other recreational facilities at many spots in Bangladesh's extensive coastal areas and in the coastal islands. It should come as no surprise if investments in this area turn out to be an amazingly successful money spinner even in the short term. Experts in the field say that Bangladesh has prospects in coastal belt tourism to attract foreign tourists which could be greater than the Maldives or India. But to realise the potential, what is supremely required is the spirit of enterprise.
EDUCATION opportunities in Bangladesh, especially opportunities for higher education, technical education and specialised education, are rather limited. This again is causing a drain on the country's precious forex reserve as many thousands of Bangladeshi students go abroad every year for higher education, quality education or specialised education.
This outflow of the student population which is proving wasteful for the country can be stopped with the establishment of high class institutions of higher or specialised learning in the country. Investments in this market so far have been scanty but it has promising prospects. High class medical colleges and universities, engineering colleges and universities, polytechnics, various types of skill building or training institutes, etc., if set up and operated in the country with high standard, would very likely be successful in terms of the number of students taking admission in them and the fees charged from the students. The fees of such institutions, though high, would likely be less than the fees charged by foreign institutions and this would be an incentive for our students to get themselves admitted in such institutions in large numbers. Besides, the creation of skilled human resources in the country would be much speeded up from the coming into being of such educational institutions and the national economy could get a boost from this development.
The supplementary benefits to setting up centres of excellence in the health and education spheres can turn Bangladesh into a regional hub for these services. India at present is monopolising the regional trade in education and health services. A large number of them could come Bangladesh's way if we can operate these institutions competitively and offer good services.
Then, there are other areas which might not have so much impact like medical care and education but investments in these as well can lead to satisfactory returns for the investors. For example, investments in fitness or health centres are a highly prospective area of investment that has not been tapped well. A few health or fitness centres have been set up in the suburban areas of Dhaka and these are doing good business. But the market demand for such centres is wide and has not been met. Thus, there is scope for the investors to try their hand in investing in this area.
The government seems bent on popularising the use of gas in the transportation sector. This has opened up a fertile new field of investment. Investment in CNG conversion facilities can be a gainful sphere of activity. Some entrepreneurs can try joint ventures with foreign firms to establish CNG-operated light vehicles. Industries to produce such vehicles can prove to be a good investment outlet.
A very prospective field -- tourism -- has been hardly tapped. The private sector in Bangladesh, in collaboration with foreign investors, can set up resorts and other recreational facilities at many spots in Bangladesh's extensive coastal areas and in the coastal islands. It should come as no surprise if investments in this area turn out to be an amazingly successful money spinner even in the short term. Experts in the field say that Bangladesh has prospects in coastal belt tourism to attract foreign tourists which could be greater than the Maldives or India. But to realise the potential, what is supremely required is the spirit of enterprise.