Dr Matiur Rahman :
Research is the systematic exploration and study of society, materials and sources for arranging information and reaching new conclusions. Research reveals the nature and depth of existing problems in society and suggests solving ways. Through social research existing social problems could be solved which helps maintain stability in society. Research is very effective in maintaining social stability and eliminating instability and chaos in human relationships.
There are several fields of research related to human beings, nature, biological science, medical science, space science and so on. Through research, new knowledge and ideas are discovered. The usefulness and necessity of research during the coronavirus situation have been more clearly realized. As a result of research, it has become possible to discover vaccines as well as the different types and motives of the virus. If vaccines had not been invented through research it is difficult to say whether people would still be alive to read or write about the consequences of this pandemic. Thus we have to pay more attention to the research.
In addition to social research, one of the areas of research is to establish, understand and repair the relationship between human beings and nature as faunae. As a biological animal, one has to rely on research for what one should do, what one should eat or what is the cure for any disease and how to cure and prevent it. The more research-based a country is, the more advanced it is. The more a country is guaranteed a favourable environment with financial incentives for research, the more prosperous it is. For example, in the United States, China, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, India, etc., even a small decision is not made without repeated research
However, one of the problems of research in Bangladesh is the proper distribution and provision of research opportunities to qualified people. Whatever the financial allocation, the main challenge is to use it properly. Allocated funds are not properly spent on research in the real sense, and even remain unspent. Even at a time when the need for research is felt to be high, research is not completed due to bureaucratic complexity and the inability to realize the need for research. Although there are limited financial incentives and infrastructural facilities in universities and various research institutes, it is well known for bureaucratic and political reasons. However, there is no practice of evaluating those who have good research and publications, which could encourage research work.
There are many good professors and researchers in Bangladesh who lose interest in research due to a lack of financial incentives, assessment and security or independence. There is no alternative to research to adapt the present generation to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Through research, new knowledge and ideas will be born, and researched solutions will come to solve the existing problems in society. Survival strategies in any situation will be adopted based on the research results. The research will also reveal what kind of situation the country and the world have to face in the future.
One of the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is to take timely action. Failure to take the right steps will be the responsibility of a research-oriented country like Bangladesh to survive in the world market. The world is much more changeable than before. As a result, education acquired at a certain time has become unusable after several years. Old skills are becoming unsuitable for the present. In this situation, repeated research is essential for the balanced and integrated development of all sectors of society.
The nature of planning or research in Bangladesh can be understood by looking at development activities and outcomes. In addition to increasing the necessary facilities to make the nation research-oriented, it is necessary to ensure the safety and independence of researchers. If the researcher has to suffer for the results of the research, if he or she has to appear in the Secretariat or in the court, then the researchers will be discouraged. To maintain the quality of research, it is recommended that the researcher concerned should be impartial, non-partisan and honest.
Research helps in building knowledge, understanding problems and raising public awareness. There is no substitute for research to understand business expansion, human needs and behaviour. Research should be an integral part of our everyday life to national life. Without research, no nation can know about its exact history. Therefore, it is time now to build a research-based society.
(The writer is a researcher and
development worker).
