The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Wednesday said the government would set up high-tech parks in every district in phases for flourishing information technology at every corner of the country. She informed this while inaugurating the 4-day Digital World 2014 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the morning. Sheikh Hasina said the government wanted to ensure widespread use of information technology for industry, health, employment generation, poverty alleviation and economic development as well as people’s empowerment through building a digital Bangladesh.
In this context, she said the government established the High-tech Park Authority under which projects on setting up of high-tech parks, software technology parks, and building information incubator are being implemented.
She also underscored the need for joint efforts of government and private sector to achieve the target of exporting software and IT services worth US$ 5 billion to 50 countries by 2021 from existing US$ 100 million.
The prime minister said that for smooth flourishing of the information and communication technology sector, the government has formulated ICT policy and information security guidelines, and also enacted the ICT Act and the Right to Information Act.
Besides, she said, the Telecommunications Act has been made time-befitting through necessary amendments and this service has been brought under accountability.
Hasina said electronic signature has been introduced to ensure cyber security of the country and appropriate institutional infrastructure are being built to protect the information security of the country.
‘The work on the optical fibre network extension across the country is nearing completion. As a result, it was possible to reach the internet bandwidth to grassroots level including the upazila headquarters.’
She said the village people were now getting information technology services through mobile, and internet and union information and services centres.
The prime minister said the government was also implementing ‘Earning through Learning’ programme for creating self-employment through outsourcing and about 14,700 people had already received training under the programme.
She also highlighted others measures of her government including introduction of computer course in school curriculum and multimedia class rooms as well as exemption of import duty on computer and its accessories for flourishing the ICT sector.
In this context, Hasina mentioned that the ICT sector has been declared a thrust sector and incentives are being provided for investment in this sector.
The IT and software business had been exempted from income tax and VAT has also been exempted on import and at production level of software, she said.
The prime minister referred to the establishment of a ‘research and development centre’ in Bangladesh by Samsung, and setting up offices by world famous organisations like Google, Microsoft, and Dell.
She urged them to invest in the country’s ICT sector and assured them of all-out government cooperation in this regard.
Later, the prime minister inaugurated the exposition by giving digital signature and visited various stalls.
Chaired by post and telecommunication and information technology minister Abdul Latif Siddiqui, the function was also addressed, among others, by state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak.
The Digital World 2014 has been organised jointly by the ICT division of the post, telecommunication and information technology ministry, and Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services.
-With New Age input
