Bangladeshi migrant workers are making a significant contribution to the country's economy but their individual output is very small because of skills deficit, educationist Prof Jamilur Reza Choudhury said yesterday.

"We are sending unskilled workers," he said, drawing a parallel with the country's ICT education sector which" faces a similar situation".

The vice chancellor of University of Asia Pacific (UAP) made the remarks while speaking at a programming contest titled, "2017 ACM-1CPC Asia Dhaka Regional Contest". UAP's Department of Computer Science and Engineering organised the competition on its campus in the capital.

Citing government statistics, University Grants Commission (UGC) Prof Abdul Mannan said, "Around six lakh foreign people work in Bangladesh.... Officially they earn 5 billion dollars (from this country)." On the other hand, one crore Bangladeshis work abroad, but they sent 14 billion dollars in 2016, he said, adding that this was happening due to the skill gap between foreign works and local workers.

Highlighting the importance of ICT education, Prof Mannan said people with knowledge in ICT were not unemployed in the country.

Prof Abdul Matin Patwari, former VC of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), said, “Computer education must be introduced in primary level education. “

He said the country needed an ICT-educated workforce who would help in exporting software and hardware and earn huge money from abroad.