Bangladesh has retained membership of International Telecommunication Union council in an election held in Busan, South Korea yesterday.
The country secured 115 votes and appeared seventh in 13 seats of Asia and Australasia region, State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak told the Dhaka Tribune from Busan.
From the region, China won the highest number of votes (142), followed by South Korea (140), Japan (139), Indonesia (121), Kuwait (121), United Arab Emirates (120), Australia (116), Bangladesh (115), Saudi Arabia (115), Philippines (115), India (108), Thailand (103) and Pakistan (101).
ITU, a specialised agency of the United Nations, has 193 member states and out of them 167 voted to elect the 48-member council for a four-year term.
The council works to formulate policy and regulation on global telecommunication sector.
Zunaid Ahmed Palak is leading a 50-member delegation to Busan.
“We have taken the election as our challenge and the victory is an international recognition of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s vision of Digital Bangladesh,” he said.
Members of Parliament, senior government officials and senior executives from mobile phone operators in Bangladesh attended a campaign last week in favour of the election.
In the ITU election manifesto and position paper, Bangladesh announced its commitment to play a positive role in formulating rules and regulations for global telecommunication sector.
It also vowed to expand internet facility to 70% and broadband connection to 35% of the population by 2018.
Bangladesh recently won the ITU’s WSIS award and the WITSA award for bringing technology to the people’s doorsteps. In 1973 the country was given primary membership of the ITU.
It will help attract investment
As Bangladesh retained membership of the International Telecommunication Union council, it reflected the continuous support for Bangladesh’s efforts to build a digitally developed nation, said State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak.
He said the win has opened window to work together with the digitally developed nations like Chian, Japan and South Korea on a same platform as they are also ITU council members.
“We can brand ‘digital Bangladesh’ globally with the victory, which can help the country attract foreign investment,” Palak told the Dhaka Tribune over phone from Busan yesterday.
He said the last week campaign helped Bangladesh get 115 votes. “When we arrived in Busan on 19 October, there were supports from only 47 countries. But we finally received 115 votes.”
About the campaign, he said they arranged a “Bangladesh Night” where delegates from more than 50 countries were present. ITU Secretary General Dr Hamadoun Touré also joined the event.
Bangladesh’s achievements in the telecommunication sector played a significant role in the win, said the state minister. “After winning the (ITU) election, it will now be easier to launch our own satellite with the help of the global organisation,” he said.
