These have been bad times for the economy. Businesses have taken a hit, jobs have been lost, and the poor find themselves without a means to put food on the table.
Needless to say, once the main threat of coronavirus has passed, we will need to channel our energies into building our economy back up -- at least the parts that have suffered the hardest blows.
To that end, remittance earnings offer great hope. Money sent from abroad by Bangladeshi migrants workers has, for a long time now, been the backbone of our economy, and once travel and work visas normalize once more, it is probably the sector that will pour money back into the economy, and undo some of the damage.
The aftermath of this crisis is likely to open up many employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers looking to foreign shores. For example, it is almost certain that there will be a rise in demand for workers in the health sector.
Nevertheless, without a proper plan for the government, we may not be able to make the right moves necessary at the right time.
To that end, anticipating the need for health workers and medical technicians worldwide, Bangladesh would do well to train people up in these skills.
Furthermore, there is an opportunity to replace foreign workers here at home with Bangladeshi ones, particularly those engaged in the many mega-projects that have been undertaken in recent times.
There is no doubt that economically speaking, the period we are going through is extremely challenging. Continuing to move forward will involve navigating an economic landscape we have not encountered before, but with smart policy, we can do it.
