Bangladesh ICT Expo 2016, a three-day exposition on information technology, kicked off yesterday in the capital.
Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal inaugurated the expo while Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), the apex trade body of technology industry, along with ICT Division of the ministry of Posts, Telecommunication and ICT hosted the event at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC).
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, AHM Mustafa Kamal said: “Planning Ministry has allocated over TK8,000 crore to construct ICT infrastructure of the country, so the ICT industry can grow here rapidly.”
“We would be able to create 15% tech-based work force by 2021 which is now only 7%. All forecast on Bangladesh in ICT sector has been implemented due to government’s initiatives. In the next couple of years, a major change will come which is called ‘Total Digitisation’,” said Kamal.
Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for ICT Division said: “Bangladesh would be a digital device manufacturing destination for global world instead of only a user country.”
“Bangladesh will earn US$5 billion through digital export by 2021 as we have established a hi-tech park in Kaliakoir where smartphone and laptops will be assembled,” said Palak.
Imran Ahmed, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on Posts, Telecommunications and ICT ministry, Michelle Simmons, president South East Asia of Microsoft, Harjeet Singh Rekhi, general manager of Dell (South Asia), Shyam Sunder Sikder, secretary of ICT Division, AHM Mahfuzul Arif, president of Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS) also spoke on the occasion.
The expo will remain open from 10am to 8pm while the BCS also informed the Bangladesh ICT Expo-2015 will be organised on 50,000 square feet space of BICC and nearly 400,000 visitors are expected to visit the exposition.
Second edition of ‘Bangladesh ICT Expo’ will be organised by the Information Communication division collaboration with Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), while some other government organisations and trade bodies also take part with the event.
The exposition, one of the biggest ever expositions in the ICT sector of the country, would be assemblage of local and international experts who will share and exchange knowledge on ICT advancement and challenges in the seminars to be organised during the event, said organiser.
The exposition, showcasing technology-based innovations, new tech products and aimed at unlocking the economic potential of the IT sector.