Building a stronger creative ground with CMISC

National Skills Development Authority (NSDA), a wing under the Prime Minister's Office, has formally inaugurated a designated council for creative skills training and development, titled 'Creative Media Industry Skills Council' (CMISC). The core objective of CMISC is to uplift creative skills, resource creation, and employment generation in the fields of film, theatre, television, radio, music, creative advertising, creative publication, online and offline newspapers, fine arts, folk arts, architecture, fashion, and creative literature, including the interconnected sub-sectors.

The inaugural ceremony, presided over by Dulal Krishna Saha, Executive Chairman (Secretary), NSDA, took place on March 10, 2021 at the Multi-Purpose Hall in Bangladesh Film Archive Auditorium, Agargaon, Dhaka. Salman F Rahman, Private Sector Industry and Investment Adviser to the Honorable Prime Minister graced the event as the chief guest. Zunaid Ahmed Palak, MP, Honorable State Minister, ICTD, Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, Principal Secretary to the Honorable Prime Minister, and Sheikh Fazle Fahim, President, FBCCI were also present at the event as special guests.

Hosted by renowned television presenter Sharmin Lucky, the programme began with the national anthem and was followed by two documentary visuals on the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This was followed by a welcoming speech by Shomi Kaiser.

"Creating such a platform for artistes has always been a dream and the recent coronavirus pandemic has only reinforced the necessity of such an initiative," she said. "For the past year, we have seen the entertainment industry working from remotely, creating content for their audience to enjoy during lockdown and isolation. This has given way to a lot of revenue to be generated from e-commerce and I only wish that this trend will be replicated in the expansion of e-entertainment as well. We aim at not just developing our artistes but reaching heights by equipping individuals with their required skillsets, who in the longer run, can come up with platforms like Netflix in our own nation."

Next, opening remarks were presented by Md Shofiqur Rahman Bhuiyan, Chairperson, Agrofood ISC, and Md Nasir, Chairperson, RMG, and Textile ISC. A presentation by Sabbir Rahman Tanim, General Secretary, Creative Media ISC, demonstrating the mission, vision, and strategic planning of this platform was also presented.

The presentation was followed by speeches by the special guests. PM's Principal Secretary, Dr. Ahmad Kaikaus spoke about how the government is promoting and supporting innovators and looking for ways to fill in the gaps when it comes to required skillsets and such platforms are an amazing way to overcome these shortcomings. Zunaid Ahmed Palak reinforced the necessity for collaborations in the public and private sectors and how such associations will only aid Bangladesh's growth while being in the fourth industrial revolution.

Finally, Salman F Rahman, MP, took the stage. "I have always been curious about the ways we intend to implement for developing skills. With technology advancing at lightning speed, building harmony between technology and creativity has become a dire necessity," he said. "I have been working with the honorable Prime Minister from the very beginning on what will be the works of the National Skills Development Authority. The goal of the Creative Media Industry Skills Council will be achieved through a combination of creative media and technology. Our technology is very advanced, which will create a favorable environment for you. The National Skills Development Authority will always be there for the progress of this council."

CMISC targets to ensure skilled human resource development in the country's creative industry. It underlines the necessity of having adequate manpower with the proper knowledge to work for the industry meticulously and initiate entrepreneurship in the sector to extend the horizons for the upcoming days. As the global scenario in the fields of creative production improves rapidly, the local demand for creative media experts is also growing at an exponential rate.

With its four board members Shomi Kaiser (Chairperson), Syed Apon Ahsan (Vice-Chairman), Sabbir Rahman Tanim (Secretary-General) and A S M Rafiq Ullah (Treasurer) CMISC is already thriving with considerable annual organic growth, with the domestic markets currently generating over 360 billion in revenue. The council also has a Directors Panel consisting of fourteen distinguished directors of Bangladesh.  The council also aligns its agenda to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) with plans to help the industry identify the key challenges of the fourth industrial revolution, and tackle it strongly with a solid media base.