Connectivity on target

The government has set up 100 information and services centres at union parishads (UPs) in an effort to bring the country’s lowest tier of administration under an online networking system and link up to the information super highway by 2012.
The number of such centres is likely to hit 1,000 by June and 2,000 by December, said a government official.
With the launch of the service, people in the areas now enjoy access to government forms, passport and visa information, government notice, birth and death registration and citizenship certificates.
People also can get public examination results and lists of government divisions and departments working in the unions and upazilas along with their services and special announcements at these centres.
Kabir M Ashraf, director general of National Institute of Local Government, said: “The government plans to increase the number further to realise the dream of a Digital Bangladesh by 2021.”
“But this venture needs huge investments from public and private sectors. We will also seek partnership from general people to develop such centres at their own unions,” said Ashraf.
The cost of setting up such a centre is around Tk 1 lakh.
Ashraf was speaking at a seminar on how to take services to people’s doorsteps, organised on the sidelines of the three-day Digital Innovation Fair at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre in Dhaka. The show began yesterday.
UNDP-funded Access to Information (A2I) Programme under the Prime Minister’s Office and science and ICT ministry have coorganised the fair.
Initially, the government allocated Tk 8 crore for the project, and the amount was increased to Tk 27 crore in June last year.
Syed Ashraful Islam, LGRD and cooperatives minister, said the government plans to bring the entire country under internet connectivity through fibre optic network by 2011.
“We have promised a digital Bangladesh by 2021, but the main setback is poor connectivity.”
“But the government is trying hard to improve the connectivity and plans to bring all upazilas and union parishads under fibre optic network by 2011,” he added.
The minister said the government is working to reduce the cost of internet service, so the grassroots can afford the service.
“Along with poor infrastructure in many remote upazilas and unions, the cost of internet remains another major problem behind lower growth in the ICT sector,” said the minister.
The minister called upon Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to provide internet for free all over the country. “BTRC can earn from other sources, like advertisements.”

Courtesy of The Daily Star