Software fair creates buzz

Admin — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 04:42:03 +0000

The country’s largest software and ICT-enabled services exposition — BASIS SoftExpo — started yesterday in Dhaka to bridge the gap between service providers and users.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith inaugurated the five-day event at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC). About 110 local companies and 10 firms from Denmark and Netherlands are participating in the ninth edition of the exposition themed “Digital Bangladesh in Action”.
Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), the national trade association of software and IT-enabled services industry, is organising the annual event in association with the Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology and Access to Information (A2I) programme of the Prime Minister’s Office.
BASIS President Mahboob Zaman, while chairing the inaugural ceremony at BICC, said the government should use public private partnership initiative in the ICT sector, which could be the main lifeline of the economy in next five to seven years.
He urged the government to set up an ICT authority and also demanded fund allocation.
The BASIS chief said the government should continue tax exemption facility for the ICT sector for at least another 10 years for the development of the sector, after the fiscal immunity expires this year.
Speaking as the chief guest, Muhith said among the government’s programmes, the digital Bangladesh activity has advanced a lot.
He said although he is personally against allowing tax exemption facility to any industry, the demand of the country’s growing ICT sector would be considered while reviewing fiscal changes.
“All of us should make a habit of paying taxes. We are taking steps so that taxes are at tolerable level, and nobody gets into any trouble.”
The finance minister said many industries that earlier enjoyed tax exemption facilities have been awarded with low taxes.
Muhith also said his government would also consider awarding dedicated funds for the sector.
Commerce Minister Faruk Khan said they hope the ICT sector would also emerge as a billion-dollar industry in future like apparel sector.
He requested the finance minister to take steps to connect Bangladesh with second submarine cable network, instead of relying on one, which regularly witnesses troubles, creating disruptions.
Yeafesh Osman, state minister for science and information and communication technology, said there is no doubt that the ICT sector would outperform the garment industry.
“We have cut the price for bandwidth. We are trying to lower it further,” he said, referring to 31 percent cut in bandwidth prices from Tk 17,400 to
Tk 12,000 per Mbps last month.
Md Nazrul Islam Khan, national project director of A2I Programme, said the government has taken a raft of steps to take ICT services to the people.
He said: “We have already set up information services centres at union level. We have also completed the automation of district administration in Jessore, the first ever in the country.”
“Within a year, all offices at district levels will come under automation. We will also bring all upazilas under the automated system later,” Khan said.
On the sidelines of the exposition, an IT job fair would also be organised, which aims to create employment opportunities for IT professionals with over 400 BASIS member companies. Face-to-Face interviews will be arranged at the Expo venue.
The event will also feature over 20 seminars on software and ICT related issues along with a number of competitions.
BASIS Secretary General Forkan Bin Kashem, its Senior Vice President AKM Fahim Mashroor and GPIT Chief Executive Kazi N Islam also spoke.
The exposition will remain open to visitors from 10am to 8pm everyday. The entry fee is Tk 30. Students, however, will enjoy free entry, organisers said.

Via: The Daily Star

The post Software fair creates buzz appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

SoftExpo-2011 begins in city tomorrow

Admin — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 03:37:49 +0000

The country’s largest exposition for software and ICT-enabled services — BASIS SoftExpo 2011 — will begin tomorrow in the city with a view to bridging the gap between service providers and users.
About 110 local companies and 10 firms from different European countries will participate at the five-day event scheduled to be held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
Themed ‘Digital Bangladesh in Action’, the fair will pave the way for globally renowned ICT companies to know more about Bangladesh’s growing market, tap outsourcing opportunities and help bring in foreign direct investment into the country’s booming sector, said BASIS President Mahboob Zaman at a press conference at a city hotel yesterday.
Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS), the national trade association of software and IT-enabled services industry in the country, is organising the ninth edition of the annual event, in association with the ministry of science and technology and Access to Information (A21) programme of the Prime Minister’s Office.
“It will bridge the gap between service providers and our corporate clients, government offices and individual users,” said the BASIS President. “The exposition will also help popularise the use of ICT in every sphere of life.”
BASIS Vice President AKM Fahim Mashroor said BASIS would arrange an IT job fair on the sidelines of the exposition. Its objective is to create employment opportunities for IT professionals with over 400 BASIS member companies. Face-to-Face interviews will be arranged at the Expo venue, he said.
The event will also feature over 20 seminars on software and ICT related issues along with a number of competitions.
Kazi N Islam, chief executive of GPIT, Martin Labbe, online and digital networks adviser of International Trade Centre, Atiqur Rahman, business development manager of Microsoft Bangladesh, Navid Iqbal, chief technical officer of BRAC Bank, Khonodokar Raihan Hossain, head of sales and marketing of Reve Systems also spoke at the press conference.
BASIS Vice President Farhana A Rahman and Secretary General Forkan Bin Kashem were also present.
The expo will remain open to visitors from 10am to 8pm everyday. The entry fee is Tk 30. Students, however, will enjoy free entry, organisers said.

Via: The Daily Star

The post SoftExpo-2011 begins in city tomorrow appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

software fair - Dhaka Mirror

Software fair creates buzz

SoftExpo-2011 begins in city tomorrow