Bangladesh steps into global chip race as 25 graduates begin semiconductor training

Bangladesh has taken another step towards building a home-grown semiconductor workforce, with 25 university graduates beginning a three-month specialised training programme in semiconductor testing as the country seeks to tap into the rapidly expanding global chip industry.

The training, inaugurated on September 15 at the AIUB Banani Campus in Dhaka, is being conducted by the Bangladesh Semiconductor Industry Association (BSIA) under the Skills for Industry Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (SICIP).

The initiative is designed to move young graduates beyond academic knowledge and equip them with practical, industry-focused skills in semiconductor testing, preparing them for employment and potential entrepreneurial opportunities in Bangladesh and overseas.

Addressing the trainees at the inauguration, BSIA President M. A. Jabbar urged them to take the training seriously and keep pace with the rapid evolution of the global semiconductor industry.

“You need to study seriously, understand how the semiconductor industry is evolving globally, and work hard to build your capabilities,” he said.

He encouraged the trainees to look beyond conventional employment and use their newly acquired expertise to explore entrepreneurship and emerging opportunities in the semiconductor sector.

Mynul Hossain, Joint Secretary and DEPD (FM) of SICIP, said the semiconductor industry was opening up an expanding range of career opportunities both at home and abroad. He urged the trainees to make full use of the programme, noting that public resources were being invested to develop a new generation of skilled professionals.

Mohammad Afzal Hossain, Deputy Secretary and AEPD (PM), SICIP; Munir Ahmed, Director of BSIA and iTest Bangladesh Ltd; and Dr Hasan Uz Zaman, Professor of EEE at BRAC University, also spoke at the inauguration.

University teachers, government officials, industry representatives and BSIA members attended the programme.

The training programme gained an added industry dimension with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between BSIA and iTest Bangladesh Ltd for conducting the semiconductor testing course. M. A. Jabbar and Munir Ahmed signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.

The guests later visited the semiconductor testing training laboratory, where they inspected the equipment and facilities being used to provide hands-on training to the participants.

The 25-trainee course is only the opening phase of a much larger skills-development drive.

Under the broader BSIA-SICIP programme, 3,500 young university graduates are expected to be trained over the next two years in seven specialised areas of semiconductor technology.