The Government is implementing a number of projects and programmes, as listed below, in the ICT sector through the Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology.
Formulation of National ICT Policy: A National ICT policy was approved on October 7, 2002 to assist the growth of ICT sector.
Formulation of ICT (Electronic Transaction) Act: To protect the software sector/production and to attract foreign investment in ICT, an ICT Act is being prepared with the help of the Law Commission. The Act will be finalised soon and some of its main objectives are:
- To facilitate electronic communications by means of reliable electronic records.
- To eliminate barriers for e-commerce resulting from uncertainties over writing and signature requirements.
- To facilitate electronic filing of documents at government agencies and statutory bodies and to promote efficient delivery of government services by means of reliable electronic record.
At present there are 42 ICT companies operating here. This it is expected will help benefit private entrepreneurs tremendously.
Standardisation of ICT Training Institutes: There are a good number of local and foreign (franchised) ICT training institutes operating in Bangladesh. To ensure quality and standard, the Ministry has initiated a programme to evaluate and rank them according to their performance and quality.
Introduction of E-governance: To ensure transparency and enhance the efficiency of government mechanism a programme has been adopted to bring all Ministries/Divisions and field offices under internet connection. Under this programme 17 Ministries and Divisions as well as 60 Deputy Commissioner Offices have been connected by this network programme. Under this system each Ministry or Division will have its own website and the people will have access to it.
Establishment of Hi-tech Park: The Government is planning to establish a Hi-tech Park at Kaliakoir near Dhaka. The estimated cost of this project is 25100 lakh (US$42.54 million). The park will focus on knowledge-based and technology intensive industries with the main industries being electronics, computer hardware and software as well as communication hardware and software.
Programme for Developing Skilled ICT Human Resources: A Post-Graduate Diploma course in IT has been introduced at six public universities and one government college. Under this programme each institute will train 60 students a year. This will help produce professionals for local and international ICT market.
Software Export from Bangladesh: Bangladeshi companies export software to a number of countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Japan, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia and France. These companies made US$30 million in 2003. The Government expects this amount to increase significantly in the future.
Conclusion:
The IT sector is one of the most promising in Bangladesh. A huge number of young people are involved in this sector. IT development throughout the country brings positive changes in education system as well as creates more job opportunities. If developed properly, the IT sector could one day become one of the country's major earners.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Md Shafiqul Islam
Quelle/Source: The Brunei Times, 26.03.2007
