Dhaka is set to host the 54th council meeting and annual forum of Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) this September, in what will be the largest telecom ceremony the country has seen so far.
Around 250-300 delegates from the Commonwealth countries including ministers, policymakers, regulators, stakeholders and private entrepreneurs of telecom and ICT sector will take part in the event during 8 to 12 September.
The news was announced at a joint press conference yesterday arranged by the CTO, Posts and Telecommunication Division and Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission at the BTRC office.
The inaugural programme and all others technical sessions will be held at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel.
Lasantha De Alwis, director of Operations & Corporate Secretary of the CTO, BTRC Director General (systems & services) Brig Gen Golam Mowla Bhuiyan and BTRC Director (media & IT) Md Sarwar Alam took part in yesterday’s question and answer session.
A two-member advanced delegation of the CTO is currently visiting Dhaka to inspect the preparations for the event. The delegation has also met with different bodies of the Bangladeshi telecom sector during their visit.
Replying to a query, Lasantha De Alwis said: “We are more than happy with the overall arrangements so far and hope it will be one of the greatest arrangements in the history of the CTO.”
Crediting Bangladesh with achieving tremendous improvements in the ICT sector, he also said many developing countries are learning from the country. The CTO conference would be a learning session and a chance for member countries to share knowledge, he added.
The CTO promotes, facilitates and guides its members in using ICTs to deliver effective development intervention. The vision of the CTO is to be the preferred partner for governments, the private sector and civil society in delivering effective ICTs for development (ICT4D) in the Commonwealth and beyond.