Bangladesh is in the process of becoming a digital device manufacturing hub: Telecom Minister

Posts and Telecommunication Minister Mostafa Jabbar said that the current government is working to transform Bangladesh into a hub for digital device manufacturing and exporting country.

He also said that the mobile phones produced in the country have already met 95 percent of the domestic demand and created a huge amount of employment opportunities. One of the goals of the government’s digitization dream is to transform the country from a digital device importer to an exporter.

The minister said this while speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of I Smart U Factory, a mobile phone manufacturing factory of Transition Holdings, connected to the digital platform at the Meghna Industrial Economic Zone in Narayanganj today.
He said that as a result of the government’s technology-friendly policy, 15 world-class mobile companies have set up mobile phone factories in the country and several more factories are in the pipeline.

Appreciating the initiative of Transshan Holdings to start a smartphone manufacturing plant locally, the Minister said it will help in the implementation of Smart Bangladesh, and through this, the ‘Made in Bangladesh’ initiative has taken a step forward.

The minister said that the journey of mobile phones in the country started in a limited form in 1989, but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina initiated a revolutionary change in digital technology development by including Bangladesh in the 2G technology era in 1997, 3G in 2013, 4G in 2018 and 5G in 2021.

Mentioning that Bangladesh has achieved amazing progress in the mobile handset manufacturing industry, he said, that despite the existence of some small problems in the production process, it is possible to establish Bangladesh as a big market for mobile phone exports through the efforts of all concerned.

He said, apart from ensuring the quality of digital devices produced in the country, mobile phone manufacturing companies should give importance to research and development.

Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority Chairman Sheikh Yusuf Haroon, BTRC Vice Chairman Engineer Md. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Meghna Group of Industries Chairman Mustafa Kamal, Transition Holdings Chairman George Xu, and Economic and Commercial Counselor of China Embassy in Bangladesh Song Yang spoke on the occasion.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the youth will build Smart Bangladesh: ICT State Minister

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Junaid Ahmed Palak MP said that ‘Smart Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will build the power of the youth with immense potential.

Junaid Ahmed Palak MP said this while inaugurating the Rajshahi divisional ‘BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) Summit Bangladesh 2023’ at Singra Upazila Parishad Auditorium of the district on Wednesday (May 24) at 10:30 am.

The State Minister said that the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman wanted to build a happy and prosperous ‘Golden Bangla’ by utilizing the soil and people’s power of this country. Following the footsteps of Bangabandhu, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took steps to turn the people of this country into skilled public resources.

He said that information technology education has been made compulsory from sixth to twelfth class to build a digital Bangladesh through the information technology sector. Sheikh Russell Digital Lab has been set up in 13,000 educational institutions across the country. Through decentralization, various information technology training centers including Hi-Tech Park, Sheikh Kamal IT Training, and Incubation Center have been built outside the capital. Creating women entrepreneurs through the ‘Her Power’ project.

The state minister also said that initiatives have been taken to make 500,000 students of 2,200 colleges under the National University skilled in the information technology sector. One lakh and nine thousand educational institutions in the country are being brought under high-speed optical fiber cable internet connection.

He said that the government is working to make 5 crore students of the country employable and create skills by providing information technology training. This power of youth is not found in any other country in the world. Using this energy, Bangladesh will reach the desired destination of a prosperous smart country by 2041.

State Minister Palak said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has transformed underdeveloped Bangladesh into a developing digital Bangladesh. Now our destination is ‘Smart Bangladesh’.

Palak also said that the construction work of Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Center, Hi-Tech Park, and Technical School and College in the Sherkol area of ​​Singra with a total cost of Tk 280 crore is progressing rapidly. Construction of the Technical Training Center has already been completed. Development Deprived Terror Township Bill is no longer lagging. Singra is being developed as a digital city. We will develop this city as an IT hub for students of all districts of Chalanbil.

Superintendent of Police Md spoke at the opening session of the BPO conference under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Abu Nacher Bhunya. Saifur Rahman, President of Bangladesh ICT Journalist Forum Nazneen Nahar, Founder of ‘Nijer Baler Mote Ekta Gabi Foundation’ Iqbal Bahar Zahid and General Editor of ‘Bakya’ Tauhid Hossain.

The conference started with a career counseling workshop at Rajshahi College on Tuesday. After the career workshop in the second phase of the conference in Singra today, CVs were collected through 10 stalls of students interested in creating employment in the BPO industry. Later in the evening, a cultural program was organized.

International Copyright Day was held under the initiative of Bangladesh Copyright Office

A seminar titled “Challenges of Economic Transition and Bangladesh Copyright Law Reform” organized by the Bangladesh Copyright Office was held as part of International Copyright Day celebrations.

The seminar was held on Wednesday (May 10) at the Archives and Library Building.

Cultural Affairs Secretary Khalil Ahmed was present as the chief guest. Director General of Archives and Libraries Gautam Kumar was present as a special guest. Copyright Board member Jafar Raja Chowdhury presented the keynote of the seminar. Copyright expert Khan Mahbub was present as a discussant. The copyright registrar presided over the event. Daud Mia.

Meanwhile, various copyright stakeholders took part in the open discussion phase of the seminar and gave their opinions.

If Bangladesh is smart, Google-Facebook can be brought under revenue: Kazi Nabil Ahmed

Member of Parliament Kazi Nabil Ahmed, member of the Standing Committee on Finance Ministry, said, ‘The government is working to build a smart Bangladesh. Smart Bangladesh will be 100% digitized and paperless activities. Everything from revenue collection to administrative operations will be automated. As a result, employment in the technology sector will increase, harnessing the demographic dividend to create a trained workforce. Desired results will also come in revenue collection. International organizations like Google, Facebook, and Twitter may not be fully brought under the revenue but can be brought in the future.

Kazi Nabil said these things as the chief guest at the dialogue on ‘Taxing the Digital Economy: Trade of and Opportunities’ organized by CPD on Saturday (April 29).

He also said, ‘Once upon a time, people used to make fun of the concept of Digital Bangladesh. Now digital Bangladesh is a reality. When the country is automated, it will be technologically dependent. This will increase the efficiency of the revenue sector.’

Kazi Nabil Ahmed said today’s discussion is digital economy. It was started by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He was the first to give the slogan of Digital Bangladesh. Before the 2008 elections, he gave the slogan of building a digital Bangladesh. At that time, many people raised questions about this digital Bangladesh, some used oblique sentences, but that digital economy is the current reality.

After 2009 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her privileged son Sajib Wazed Joy gave the gift of this digital Bangladesh, said Kazi Nabil Ahmed, ‘We are discussing its various problems today because this digital economy or digital Bangladesh has happened. If there was no digital economy, there would be no opportunity to talk about it.’

It should be remembered that Khaleda Zia was the Prime Minister of the country from 1991 to 1996. We were then offered to take the submarine cable free of charge. But it was not taken then. Later Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina rightly connected us with the submarine cable between 1996 and 2001. Here we need to understand which party or which Prime Minister is prudent and forward-looking. Who is thinking of taking the country forward? We all need to remember these earlier words,’ he commented.

The Member of Parliament said, ‘where we were, where we could have been, and where we came from. Whose role in this case should also be considered.’

‘International Girls in ICT Day’ is celebrated under the initiative of the ICT Department

“International Girls in ICT Day” 2023 has been celebrated in Bangladesh like other countries of the world under the theme Digital Skills for Life to ensure more participation of women in the field of information technology. On the occasion of the day, a discussion meeting was held at the Bangladesh Computer Council Auditorium of ICT Tower on the initiative of the Information and Communication Technology Department on Thursday (April 27).

Md. Samsul Arefin, secretary of the information and communication technology department, was present as the chief guest of the event. Md. Rezaul Karim, Managing Director of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, Ranjit Kumar, Executive Director of Bangladesh Computer Council, Director General of Information and Communication Technology Directorate Md. Mostafa Kamal spoke on the occasion under the chairmanship of Mohammad Naveed Shafiullah, Additional Secretary of ICT Department.

In the chief guest’s speech, the ICT secretary emphasized the use of women in the soft skills or ICT sector and said that only if they can be made into skilled manpower, the country will be economically more developed and prosperous and will go a long way. There is no alternative to make women entrepreneurs to improve the socio-economic condition of the country. He said the women entrepreneurs of the country are contributing to the overall development of the country by earning foreign exchange.

The secretary said that the ICT department is taking and implementing various programs to make women skilled. He urged them to come forward with new initiatives. He said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced Smart Bangladesh Birniman, women and men should work together through cooperation.