BASIS has placed a Tk20 crore budget at a meeting with the government yesterday to organise a four-day information technology fair styled as “Digital World-2015.”
Finance Minister AMA Muhith presided over the first meeting of the advisory council on Digital World fair.
The government in collaboration with Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) will organise the fourth edition of the fair at Bangabandhu International Conference Center in the city.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the fair to be held from February 9 to 12.
PM’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Adviser Sajib Wazed Joy will also be present as special guest.
The event aims to showcase innovations in the sector as well as to demonstrate the country’s strength and offer of opportunities to international community.
“We will need to pay a huge amount of tax. The cost for the venue will also be paid by us. We need money,” BASIS president Shameem Ahsan told the Dhaka Tribune.
“But I fear the government will not approve the budget finally.”
Last year around Tk10 core was spent to organise the event although the government’s budget was around Tk8 crore, said BASIS sources.
The meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi, Power Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, State Minister for Science and Technology Yafes Osman and State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak.
The meeting launched a mobile application about the “Digital World.”
The event will include programmes like B2B matchmaking sessions, seminars, workshops, IT career fair, soft expo, e-governance expo, mobile innovation expo, e-commerce and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) programmes and Women IT Forum, and Children Forum.