Post and Telecommunication Minister Raziuddin Ahmed Raju on Thursday said every upazila of the country would be brought under broadband internet facilities through fiber optic cable by 2012 in line with realizing the government’s pledge to build digital Bangladesh.
“We have already signed an agreement with Malaysia to make laptop computer available for only Taka 10,000 by next year for easing the digital access,” he said while speaking at a roundtable discussion titled ‘Bangabandhu and Digital Bangladesh’ organised by online newspaper the editor.com at CIRDAP auditorium here.
The minister said ‘e-education’ and ‘e-health’ services through using digital devices would be expanded across the country by next year.
Raju said establishment of ‘Sonar Bangla’, dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is only possible through a digital revolution.
Bangabandhu established contacts with the world through setting up Betbunia Earth Satellite Station in 1975, he said, adding, the advancement of information technology had started by his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the previous tenure of Awami League government.
He said the Prime Minister had broken the monopoly of mobile phone business to reach the benefit of digital device to the common people. “Presently common people are getting various services through mobile phones from their homes,” he added.
Raju said the government is implementing various programme to ensure easy and free digital access for common people, he said, adding, the nation will enjoy the benefit of these programmes soon.
He said the government has adopted a plan to establish a digital university in Gazipur for building knowledge and IT based society. Besides, the third generation mobile will be introduced and two more wimax licences would be given by this year, he said.
Chief Executive Officer of RTV M Hamid chaired the roundtable discussion while Member of Parliament Murad Hasan presented the keynote paper.
Former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University AK Azad Chowdhury, Jatiya Party Presidium Member Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, BRTC chairman Majoir General (Retd) Zia Ahmed, President of Bangladesh Computer Council Mostafa Zabbar and journalist Mozammel Babu took part in the discussion, which was moderated by Managing Director of editor.com Dr Shamim Haidar.
The speakers demanded withdrawal of VAT from the internet service for realizing the dream of building a digital Bangladesh.
