Online Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the government wants to blend Fourth Industrial Revolution with labour intensive industries aiming to create employment opportunities for a greater of people in the country. “Technologies are changing every moment, now Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is knocking at the door. May be we will need less manpower, but we have to use technology, information technology. For that we need skilled manpower,” she said, reports UNB.

The prime minister was distributing cheques of “Bangabandhu Science and Technology Fellowship,” “National Science and Technology Fellowship” and special research donations among teachers, scientists, researchers and students of different universities. The Science and Technology Ministry arranged the ceremony at Osmani Memorial Auditorium. Hasina said that the government does not want to embrace 4IR completely.

“But we do not want to go that direction completely; we want to set up labour intensive industries also. Because we have to ensure employment of the huge population. So blending with these two we have to advance our country, that must be kept in your mind,” she said. The PM requested the researchers to do their work with utmost sincerity and she expressed her eagerness to be informed about the outcome of these researches time to time.

She reiterated her call to give special focus on medical science research, urging all to move the country forward with fresh inventions to cope with the newer global technologies. “I can say with sadness that though research on agriculture and science is going on, but our research on medical science is fewer in number. Give special attention to medical science research which is required greatly,” she said.

She noted with dismay that a section of physicians either join the government services or politics after acquiring MBBS degrees shunning practices and research. She said another section is busy with earning money for which they do government services and private practices at the same time. “Fewer people are doing research on medical sciences. Research on medical science has increased a little bit after I have told it time and again,” she said.

The prime minister said her government aims at reaching the scientific and technological advancement to a new height for which she wants vigorous efforts from scientists and researchers to help the country cope with newer global technologies. The scientists and researchers will have to give commendable returns to the nation to prepare people for working in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4RI), she said. Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman and its Senior Secretary Ziaul Hasan spoke at the function.