The government has merged the posts and telecommunications ministry and the information and communication technology ministry into one – a decision that has been hailed by both the industries as a milestone towards “enhancing the digitisation programme.”
The unified Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology will reduce wastage of resources and efforts, leaders of the two industries say.
A government handout yesterday said the new ministry would have two divisions – the Posts and Telecommunications Division and the Information and Communication Technology Division.
Abdul Latif Siddiqui was the minister for both the ministries and remains in charge of the new one. Zunaid Ahmed Palak was the state minister for the ICT ministry. The government handout does not clarify Zunaid’s status.
The last caretaker government took an initiative in 2008 to bring the ICT and telecom ministries under a single umbrella.
“We took the initiative to bring all digital supports under a single ministry but it did not happen at that time,” Maj Gen (retd) Manjurul Alam, then chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
“It was badly needed for us and I want to congratulate the government for fulfilling the industry’s desire.
“It will reduce wastage of efforts and help use optimum opportunities,” he said.
Mustafa Jabbar, president of Bangladesh Computer Samity, said: “The telecom sector cannot run without the help of ICT, and at the same time, the ICT cannot run without telecom services…Now we can run faster.”
Abu Saeed Khan, senior policy fellow of LIRNEasia, a Colombo-based ICT think tank, termed the decision a “political victory but a defeat of the bureaucratic hegemony.”
He said: “It is a very good move, which has been long overdue.”
The former secretary general of the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (Amtob) said the merger would reduce chances of overlapping of government projects.
In its previous term, the Awami League had split the science, information and communication technology ministry into two ministries.