ZCZC
BSS-51
ICT-STARTUP-COMPETITION
3-day national ‘Student to Startup’ contest begins
DHAKA, Oct 10, 2019 (BSS) – A three-day “National Startup Camp 2.0” of Student to Startup: Chapter 2 began today with a view to find out young entrepreneurs having innovative ideas so that they can contribute to the country’s development.
With the slogan of ‘My innovation, My Dream’, the national contest was inaugurated at Sheikh Hasina National Youth Centre at the city’s outskirt Savar, said a press release here today.
Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (iDEA) project of Bangladesh Computer Council under the Information and Communication Technology Division (ICTD) is organizing the competition for the second time.
Senior Secretary of Information and Communication Technology Division NM Zeaul Alam attended the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest.
Project Director (Joint-Secretary) of iDEA Project Syed Mojibul Huq chaired the function while Deputy Project Director of iDEA Kazi Hosna Ara gave the welcome address.
“We have come a long way in building digital Bangladesh. Now we are on the path to build a ‘Quality Digital Bangladesh’,” Zeaul Alam said.
The government, he said, has set four pillars to make Digital Bangladesh and one of them is human resource development. One of the aims of iDEA project is to increase this capability and also human resource development, he added.
Ashikur Rahman Rupok, co-coordinator of Student to Startup program, conducted the session for the participants after the inaugural session.
Earlier, the contest started its journey on September 15, 2019 at ICT Tower in the city’s Agargaon area. State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak attended it as the chief guest.
The promotional campaigns were organized in more than 100 academic institutes and students registered through online registration process at the contest. About 2500 Startups submitted their ideas at the contest and then 75 startups have been selected preliminarily from university campus pitching round from 24 venues of 8 divisions and later invited to attend the National Startup Camp.
This time, more than 200 students of 75 startups are participating in the national camp. As per planning of the camp, workshops are being held since this morning. The pitching round of the contest will begin in the 2nd day of the camp and later judges will select the potential top 30 startups. Finally, the selection committee of iDEA project and experienced judges will select the best 10 startups among them.
The winner of the 2nd chapter will be awarded with a grant of Taka 10 lakh to the top 10 winning startups as ‘Bangabandhu Innovation Grant’ and 20 more startups as runner-up will also be selected for grooming to make them matured.
After completion of grooming, if the startup can meet the targeted improvement then the matured startups will also be funded.
Details of iDEA project will be available into Startup Bangladesh website as follows- www.startupbangladesh.gov.bd .
Officials of ICT Division and its different wings, university teachers, campus ambassadors of ‘Young Bangla’ were also attended at the inauguration ceremony of the National Startups Camp.
Leading youth platform ‘Young Bangla’ under ‘Centre for Research and Information (CRI)’ is organizing the competition.
BSS/PR/MKD/MRU/2011hrs