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BUDGET-ICT
Tk 1,720cr proposed for ICT Division
DHAKA, June 3, 2021 (BSS) – Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal today proposed allocation of Taka 1,720 crore for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division in the budget for 2021-22 fiscal.
Taka 1,415 crore was allocated for the ICT Division in the last 2020-2021 fiscal while Taka 1,031 crore was kept in the revised budget, according to the budget speech presented by the finance minister at the Jatiya Sangsad here today.
“The dream of building a digital Bangladesh under ‘Vision 2021’ implemented during the tenure of our government has come to fruition today,” Kamal said while placing the budget in the parliament.
Bangladesh has reached a unique height in the last 12 years through the maximum and efficient use of information technology, he said, adding that the people of the country are enjoying the benefits of ‘Digital Bangladesh’ in almost every sphere of their day-to-day life.
Information technology-based solutions are being used in different sectors, including agriculture, education, health, economy, industry, business and commerce, skills, employment, innovation, the minister said.
“To build ‘Sonar Bangla’, the dream of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the government is formulating and implementing various action plans focusing on five pillars-infrastructural development of information and communication technology, development of skilled human resources in information and communication technology, implementation of e-governance, development of ICT industry and innovation,” Kamal added.
Noting that the government has taken various steps for the infrastructural development in information technology, he said high-speed internet connection has so far been established through optical fibre cable in 18,434 government offices and 2,600 unions across the country.
“Tier-3 Certified and Tier-4 Certified National Data Centers have been set up in the country and Disaster Recovery Center has been set up in Jessore. The National Data Center (Tier-III) is providing mail domain, website and application hosting, co-location services, cloud services, etc. in an uninterrupted fashion,” the minister said.
So far, 93,000 email accounts have been opened in 625 domains and data storage capacity has been increased to 12 petabytes while the Bangladesh National Digital Architecture (BNDA) platform has been created to ensure inter-portability among all government offices, he said, adding, as many as 254 Agricultural Information Centers have been set up in across the country.
So far, 7,469 digital centres have been set up in upazilas, unions, municipalities and industrial areas, Kamal said, adding steps have been taken to launch 5G in the country to implement the 4th Industrial Revolution effectively. As part of this initiative, the bands have been initially set at 2500-2690 MHz and 3300-3700 MHz, he said.
Highlighting the government’s various digital initiatives taken to tackle the COVID-19 situation, the minister said a website named www.corona.gov.bd has been set up to deal with the pandemic, which has live update information on the pandemic, necessary information on what to do, and information on national call centre phone numbers including that of hotline, Shasthya Batayan and IEDCR Helpline.
In addition, 50 telemedicine centres have been set up across the country during the period, he added.
About Hi-Tech the minister said Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority is setting up 39 Hi-Tech Parks or Software Technology Parks in different parts of the country, out of them seven are ready for investment.
However, Janata Tower Software Technology Park, Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park, Jessore and Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Center, Natore are now operational, Kamal added.
In Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City, Kaliakair, space has been allotted to 48 local and foreign companies, and five companies have already started production, he said, adding high-tech or IT parks are being set up in 12 districts of the country and construction of Sheikh Kamal IT Training and Incubation Centers is underway at 8 places.
Besides, construction works of Bangabandhu Hi-Tech City, Kaliakair, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Hi- Tech Park, Sylhet, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Hi-Tech Park, Rajshahi, Business Incubation Center, CUET and IT Training and Incubation Center, KUET and Chittagong Software Technology Park are underway, the minister continued.
About human resource development, Kamal said skills development initiatives have been launched across the country to develop job-oriented skills and create appropriate employment opportunities for the youth of different ages and groups (men, women, minorities and the disabled).
Mentioning that to create skilled human resources with technical knowledge, about 6 lakh people have so far been given training in technology, he said, 15 Sheikh Russell Digital Labs have been set up in Saudi Arabia to improve skills of workers staying abroad.
To nurture the innovative culture, the minister said, projects with innovative ideas are being financed from the Innovation Fund and other funds.
“So far, 259 projects of innovative ideas have been provided with funds. To identify the social problems of citizens and facilitate their access to services, various innovative ideas are being identified, developed, implemented in the form of projects and disseminated throughout the country,” he continued.
To encourage innovation in the private sector, Kamal said, eight game and apps development centers have been set up in the educational institutions in eight divisional towns and 32 game and apps testing labs have been set up in 30 educational institutions at the district level.
The Innovation and Entrepreneur Development Academy has been established to provide co- working space to start-ups and provide various types of training, he said, adding two companies named the Data Center Company Limited and the Start-up Bangladesh Limited have been formed.
“Incubator cum Training Centers will be set up at Chattogram and Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, and ‘University Innovation Hubs’ will be set up at three universities to accelerate the process of building innovation culture in the country by creating research opportunities,” the minister said.
Speaking about use of technology in celebrating, ‘Mujib Borsho’ he said a website named www.mujib100.gov.bd together with contents has been created to celebrate ‘Mujib Borsho’ and added that the mobile apps (Android and iOS) of the ‘Mujib-100’ website have been completed.
A holographic projection of Bangabandhu’s historic 7th March speech has been prepared, Kamal said, adding, making Android and iOS apps and animation (interactive) movies based on the book ‘Mujib Amar Pita’ written by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been completed.
Based on Bangabandhu’s unfinished autobiography ‘Mujib Bhai’, he said, Android and iOS apps and animation (interactive) film production activities are underway while Audiobooks, CDs, digital cards on data from the six-point movement to the independence of Bangladesh have been prepared, and promotional activities for those digital products are also underway.
BSS/ASG/SAH/MMA/1950HRS