Gig economy to create significant new jobs: Mashiur Rahman

The gig economy will create a significant number of new jobs in Bangladesh, Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Adviser Dr Mashiur Rahman said today. 

While speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled "Gig Economy and Bangladesh: Opportunities, Challenges, and Way Forward" on Wednesday, he mentioned that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is going to leave a profound impact on traditional employment opportunities.

"This impact is extensive, as it can create opportunities while also presenting new challenges," he added at the event organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) at its auditorium. 

The concept of the gig economy denotes an environment that is characterised by temporary jobs and short-term contracts for independent workers, where various organizations will prioritise freelancers above full-time workers and delegate most work to them. 

As new technologies come out, people are becoming more interested in concepts such as "gig economy". Freelancers have initiated the trend of the gig economy in Bangladesh.

"The evolution of the gig economy is gaining popularity due to the nature of flexibility at work. In the gig economy, the concept of employment has become flexible with the use of technology and the rise of remote work," Major General Sheikh Pasha Habib, director general of the BIISS said.  

"As the economy of the country struggles under the weight of an expanding population and high unemployment rates, the gig economy can play a crucial part in keeping the economy moving," he added. 

He further said, "With the appropriate mix of policies, digital infrastructure, and supporting services, the gig economy has the potential to become a growth engine for the country by producing jobs for many people." 

Dr Zaidi Sattar, chairman of the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI), presided over the session while BIISS Research Director Dr Mahfuz Kabir, Bangladesh Association of Contact Centre and Outsourcing (Bacco) President Wahid Sharif, Apex DMIT Ltd Founder and CEO Mike Kazi, among others, spoke at the event.