The government is planning to establish the country’s first freelancing training institute from its own funds, said sources in the Information Communication Technology division of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunication and Information Technology.
Already, the authorities of Bangladesh Hi-tech Park Authority of the ICT division has finalised an organogram for the institute, which will be forwarded to the planning ministry for approval. Following the approval, they will move forward to secure the funds for the project.
“We have already finalized the PPNB (Program Proposal for Non-revenue Budget) from our side which we will send to the planning ministry within a week,” Bangladesh Hi-tech Park Authority Managing Director Hosne Ara Begum told the Dhaka Tribune last week.
Saying that the establishment of a primary level freelance institute will require only Tk10 crore, she also said the authorities have bigger plans for the institute after its establishment.
This institute will be established at Natore, the home town of the ICT division’s state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak.
Earlier, the junior minister requested the World Bank representatives to establish a freelance institute in the country at Natore when they visited him in the last week of January.
Although the World Bank representatives gave their assurances, ICT division started its own initiatives before even receiving a reply from the global donor, sources said.
Hosne Ara further added that 1.46 acres of land has been acquired for the institute in Natore and expressed hope that another 5 acres will be allocated by the government to make a fully-fledged institute.
Sources said, ICT division secretary Md Nazrul Islam Khan was keen interested to establish the freelancing institute at Natore.
Earlier, ICT ministry established an IT park in Jessore, which is Nazrul Islam Khan’s home town and also the electoral constituency of former ICT minister Mostafa Faruque Mohammad.
Nazrul Islam Khan also somehow managed to declare Jessore as a digital district.
Earlier, the ministry also adopted a project for constructing the Borendra silicon city at a cost of Tk373.16 crore when Md Abdul Wadud was the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on ICT ministry of the ninth parliament.
Sources also added that Abdul Wadud was not interested in building the silicon city in his city but the secretary somehow influenced his decision.