Dhaka, May 7 -- Prominent economist Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya on Thursday warned that artificial intelligence, robotics and rapid technological disruption could eliminate as many as 5.6 million jobs in Bangladesh, raising urgent questions about the country's readiness for a fast-shifting labour market.

Speaking at a dialogue titled "Government Priorities and the Education Sector: Budget and Reality" arranged by Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Agargaon, he said the challenge runs deeper than job losses alone.

"AI could eliminate 5.6 million jobs in Bangladesh. Even if 5 million technology-driven jobs are created in their place, the real question is whether Bangladesh has pre...