Intellectual or talent trafficking is an international affair that is an integral part of the human migration process. Immigration or relocation of a large number of technically qualified or educated talents results in intellectual trafficking.

Talent trafficking usually occurs to avoid war, lack of opportunities, political instability or risk of living. A country loses its most talented, knowledgeable, skilled and deserving citizens due to intellectual trafficking.

Nowadays, the tendency of Bangladeshi students to go abroad for higher education is increasing and thousands of meritorious students from government and private universities migrated abroad at one time frustrated as they did not get the desired job.

It is learned that they are migrating abroad due to lucrative benefits including scholarships. Most of the student destinations are industrialized countries like USA, Canada, UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Australia, Japan, South Korea etc.

These countries offer scholarships and other lucrative benefits to Bangladeshi students but unfortunately most of the students finish their studies and do not return to the country in time, among them are teachers of many public and private universities.

Concerned people complain that they do not return to the country due to high employment, living conditions and quality of life in the countries they have migrated. However, the biggest bar to the country's progress is not properly evaluating the country's meritorious persons.

In fact, when people from a country who are highly educated, well trained and able to make quality contributions in their respective fields leave their country and go to another country to work permanently in the interest of that country or use their talent, this is called talent trafficking.

Every year a large number of students from our country go abroad for higher education but they do not return to the country. A huge amount of money is spent in the country for their education. For this reason, intellectual trafficking has become a cause of concern for developing countries.

Talent trafficking has increased at an alarming rate in recent years. According to UNESCO's 'Global Flow of Tertiary Level Students', the number of students who migrated abroad for higher education from Bangladesh in 2017 has crossed one lakh.

The number of Bangladeshi students in the United States alone is about 10,000 but sadly, about 80 percent of them never return. If talent is smuggled in this way, the country will become incompetent while the government is spending huge amount of money from the state treasury behind these meritorious students.

But the developed world is enjoying the benefits of intellectual trafficking. One study found that between 1960 and 1990, the USA and Canada alone adopted one million talented, skilled, technical and professional people from the underdeveloped world.

Several years ago, a survey in Bangladesh caused a great stir. The survey found that 82 percent of the country's 15- to 29-year-old population prefers to migrate abroad.

This survey shows that a large part of the country assumes that a full assessment of their talents, creativity and qualifications is not possible in this country. So they choose to leave their homeland and go abroad to ensure the full use of their talents.

According to the 2021 "Open Door Report on International Educational Exchange", the United States issued study permits to 8,598 Bangladeshis in the 2020-21 academic year, more than three times as much as in 2009. FACD-CAB says the number of Bangladeshis receiving US scholarships will double in 2022.

According to UNESCO, about 24,112 Bangladeshi students migrated abroad in 2015 and this number has quadrupled in 2020. As such, on average 70,000 to 90,000 Bangladeshi students migrate abroad for higher education in every year.

When looking for the causes of intellectual trafficking, it is seen that social, economic and political issues are closely associated with intellectual trafficking. Many emigrate in the hope of a healthy and prosperous life - but not all of our students leave the country in this hope.

We often taunt them saying that they are selfish and migrate abroad with the country's interests at stake. They are living happily abroad at the expense of the country's money but that is not entirely correct.

 Many students in our country leave the country disappointed. Many leave the country for a sick system. Many people are forced to live far away from their country when they repeatedly try to get a job but do not get a job despite having talent.

Again, there is no difference between the job sectors in our country. We have opened many departments in the universities but we have not been able to diversify our work. So many people go abroad without getting job opportunities.

After so many years of independence, without any improvement in science, we are going to face the fourth industrial revolution. Meritorious students from engineering universities are increasingly going abroad. Because the workplace opportunities they need are not available in the country.

Effective measures are needed to stop genuine intellectual trafficking. Authorities of government and non-government organizations of the country should be aware of the proper evaluation of meritorious people in the country now.

The meritorious students of this country should be engaged in the welfare of their country through proper evaluation. Allocation to research sector should be increased. Scientists need to increase the necessary facilities, including salaries. In every field of Bangladesh, arrangements have to be made to respect and reward the talents, skills, experience, dedication and creativity. Different incentives can be given if needed.

Above all, the country needs to provide all the necessary facilities to utilize the talents of the country so that their full use of talents is ensured and they can play a role in the progress of the country.

Writer: Banker and Columnist