Bangladesh’s gaming sector has immense potential, according to the experts who spoke at a seminar organised by the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS). The event, titled ‘Game Publishing: An Untapped Potential for Bangladesh’, highlighted the country’s ability to transform its gaming industry into an export-earning department. Hosted at the BASIS software exposition venue, the seminar brought together leading professionals to discuss the untapped opportunities in the country’s gaming sector.
Furthermore, the speakers emphasised the need for strategic development of the gaming industry, given its potential to contribute significantly to the country’s economy. In the seminar, speakers said, “To go with this highly potential industry, Bangladesh needs certain government policies, new investments, and a trained workforce. If all of these can be combined together, then this industry can be a useful source to earn foreign currencies.”
Thrust on harnessing gaming sector’s potential
The speakers invited to the seminar said, “A lot of entrepreneurs and fresh workforce are coming into this industry to work with potential, but the investment shortage and lack of training are hindering their growth.” The speakers stressed on overcoming the shortcomings with timely initiatives.
The executive vice president of VAS and Robi Axiata, Arman Ahmed Siddique, said, “Bangladesh has an excellent avenue like gaming to look at for its future.” He added that, as the number of mobile phone users is increasing day by day, the game development activities are also showing a gradual increase in its abilities. These games are having a significant impact on the local people, and the companies are also trying their best to enhance this sector’s abilities and to tap the international market as well.
The project director of the Skill Development Project for Mobile Games and Applications, ICT Division, Md Anwar Hossain stated, “Gaming is playing a significant role in the entertainment industry. Therefore, it is crucial to create a pool of skilled human resources, including designers, animators, and developers, for the gaming sector.” He said, “In Bangladesh, we have so many challenges from both financial and economic perspectives. The ICT department has already trained about 28,000 youths, and many of them have already become entrepreneurs in this sector. However, financial factors are hindering our growth.”
Md Altaf Hossain, the project director of iDEA, expressed that Bangladesh has the potential to earn through exports by boosting its activities in the gaming industry. Additionally, he announced that iDEA is prepared to invest from Tk 1 million in gaming start-ups in Bangladesh.
Mahmudur Rahman, the CEO of PlaySense, noted that the gaming industry is expected to reach a total of $400 billion by the end of this year. He emphasized that with some assistance from the government, Bangladesh could significantly benefit from this sector and earn a substantial amount of revenue.
Promising prospects
China earned $385 million from e-sports activities alone in 2020, making it one of the world’s largest gaming markets. The country has already been estimated to grow in this sector by 17% in 2023. Similarly, in India, the gaming industry’s earnings are projected to reach $6,225 million by 2025.
To conclude, the gaming sector’s popularity in Bangladesh is on the rise, as highlighted in the seminar. Games like Free Fire: Battlegrounds, PUBG, Mobile Legends, and Call of Duty are becoming increasingly popular in the country. Bangladeshi players have also represented their country on various online platforms, including the World Cyber Games (WCG), which was very popular in the 2010s. Gaming industry experts suggest that experienced gamers, game developers, and related stakeholders have significant potential to contribute to the overall GDP of the country. With the right investments and support, Bangladesh’s gaming industry could be a major driver of economic growth in the coming years.
