Govt focusing on optimum utilization of ICT to build ‘Smart Bangladesh’: Speaker
Staff Correspondent: Dhaka, Feb-23,
Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury today said the government is focusing on optimum utilization of ICT in every sphere of life to build ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041.
“ICT (Information and Communications Technology) is crore ingredient to build Smart Bangladesh… ICT is becoming a very crucial element in our daily life,” she told the inaugural function of the four-day BASIS SOFT Expo-2023 at Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship exhibition Centre in the city.
Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services(BASIS) is organizing the four-day exhibition aiming to promote software industry in the country.
Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar and State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak attended the inaugural function special guests with BASIS President Russel T Ahmed in the chair.
Dr Shirin said, “The present government is working to successfully implement the four foundations of building ‘Smart Bangladesh’. These are smart citizens, smart economy, smart government and smart society.”
She urged all stakeholders to work building collective collaboration to ensure expected growth of the ICT sector.
Jabbar said, “Software industry is keeping an important role in development of Bangladesh. Knowledge-based value addition is key element for producing software. So, it will create huge opportunity for us, if we will develop our young generation as skilled workforce through providing ICT based education.”
The ICT industry is indeed progressing in the right direction and gradually becoming one of the major sectors of the country, he added.
Palak said, “We have been able to create 20 lakh employments for youth in the software and hardware sector and from the ICT sector.”
Bangladesh is exporting ICT products to nearly 80 countries in the world and earned US 1.4 billion from the ICT sector, he said adding, “We have set a target to earn 5 billion US dollar by 2025 from ICT sector and 20 billion US dollar by 2031.”
Around 200 ICT organizations from home and abroad are showcasing products and services.
Nigar Sultana, Managing Director of TMSS (Thengamara Mohila Sabuj Sangha) ICT Limited, told the media that “We are showcasing our ICT products and services to visitors as well as other organizations at the software expo… it is a wonderful opportunity for us to widen market value of our ICT products.”
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