Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday unveiled a locally assembled low-cost laptop — Doel — in a major step towards spreading the uses of ICT across the country as part of her election promise to make the country a “Digital Bangladesh”.
The much-talked Doel laptop will be available in four different models at Tk 10,000, Tk 13,500, Tk 22,000 and Tk 26,000.
The laptops will hit the market next week.
State-run Telephone Shilpa Sangstha (TSS) assembled the portable computer in collaboration with Dhaka-based 2M Corporation and Malaysian TFT Technology.
TSS, a state enterprise under the telecom ministry, plans to manufacture 10,000 laptops every month.
The prime minister also highlighted various steps her government has taken for the advancement of the country through launching web portals, setting up e-centres at district levels and withdrawing tax on computers.
At the launching ceremony at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city, Hasina said her government is successfully progressing to implementing its “Digital Bangladesh” vision through the expansion of the information and communication technologies.
She asked the education ministry to take effective steps to introduce netbook computers (small laptops) on a massive scale at all schools to free the students from carrying so many textbooks.
The prime minister asked the ministry concerned to install the related e-books in the laptops for the students. At the same time, she called upon the authorities of Dhaka University to take immediate steps to set up an e-library at the country’s top educational institute.
In her speech, Hasina said the new generation will have to be facilitated with the blessings of science and technology.
“Our students at schools should have access to the latest technologies. I want all the students not to go to schools with bags of books on their shoulders, but only with a notebook,” she said.
Hasina said the government has formulated the ICT Policy 2009 and ICT Act 2009 in the last three years to give the ICT sector a boost. Computer E-labs have already been set up at one college and one school in every district, she added.
The government in collaboration with the Chinese government has taken a project to provide 3G (third generation) mobile services in the country, the prime minister said.
Once the 3G service is available, more than 17 lakh subscribers of state-run mobile operator Teletalk would get high-speed communication services, while 48 lakh users would get 2.5G services, Hasina said.
Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju, telecom minister, Hasanul Haque Inu, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the telecom ministry, and Sunil Kanti Bose, telecom secretary, also spoke on the occasion.
Established in 1967, the TSS currently manufactures telephone sets only. It, however, has started manufacturing laptops and also plans to make mobile phone handsets.
-With The Daily Star input
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