32 icons honoured for ICT innovations
Thirty-two organisations were awarded yesterday for developing information and communication technology, in the first national competition of its kind in Bangladesh.
The science and ICT ministry and D.Net (Development Research Network) organised the 2010 National e-Content and ICT for Development Award. The winners will be eligible to contest in the World Summit Award 2011 in Austria.
The organisers also honoured some noted personalities for their lifetime contribution to their respective fields by dedicating the awards to them at a ceremony at the National Museum auditorium.
The contest played out in 14 categories both for online and off-line content and ICT products.
A jury panel, consisting of ICT experts and other renowned people, picked up the winners out of 48 finalists. A total of 93 initiatives have been nominated for the contest.
The purpose of the awards was to promote the best ICT initiatives and products related to the development of livelihood and society.
In e-government and institutions category, DataSoft Systems Bangladesh Ltd was awarded for its private-public partnership project 'Customs Information Management System', which has been implemented at the Chittagong port customs office. The first runner-up award went to Millennium Information Solution Ltd for the national web portal of Bangladesh. Business Automation Ltd became the second runner-up for the Bangladesh Hajj Management Portal. A special prize went to Management Information System (MIS)-Health for its mobile phone health service.
Developer Amader Gram has won the championship award in e-health category for its AG Breast Care-A Choice initiative. A special award went to Trimatrik for e-adolescent health learning software.
In learning and education category, the champion was Rangamati-based Ananda Multimedia for interactive multilingual multimedia education software for classes I-II of national curriculum textbooks. The first runner-up was Multimedia Content and Communications Ltd for its project: Computer Teaches Everyday English. An education web portal, varsityadmission.com, has been given an appreciation award for its primary and secondary education initiative: English in Action.
bdplay.com was given a special award in e-games category.
In entertainment category, Multimedia Content and communications Ltd was the champion for its website lemon24.com. A special award went to Trimatrik for its computer graphics animation film 'Pekku'.
Bangladesh Genocide Archive received the championship award in culture and heritage category, while BRT Group was the first runner-up for its 'Amar Ekushe' multimedia compact disk. biplobiderkotha.com received a special award.
biggani.org was given a special award in e-science and technology category.
In business and commerce, no project was declared a champion, while the first runner-up was Bangladesh Telecentre Network for its website msme.com.bd and the second runner-up award went to Golden Bangladesh for goldnebusiness.bd.com.
The highly contested category was e-enterprise and livelihood, in which digital sugarcane procurement and development system, designed by Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation, won the first prize. The first runner-up was Bangladesh Telecentre Network's byabsharkhobor.com and e-krishok.com ended up as the second runner-up.
In the same category, a special award went to Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) for its online advocacy platform for workers involved in the ship-breaking industry: shipbreakinginbd.info.
In e-inclusion and participation category, YPSA got the top prize for Daisy for All (dfa.daisy.org), a project for the disabled children.
The top prize in e-localisation category went to Ankur ICT Development Foundation for its project -- Computer in Bangla for All. Somewhere in Net Ltd was honoured as the first runner-up for somewhereinbangladesh.com, a popular blogsite.
In e-news category, the championship prize was handed to computerjagat.com, a live web casting and online news portal while techzoom24 became the first runner-up.
The much-talked-about paperless admission system taken by Shahjalal University of Science and Technology received the top prize in m-content category. The first runner-up was i-Informedia's SMS ID-empowering identity through mobile SMS.
The e-government and institutions award was dedicated to Prof Rehman Sobhan, e-health award to National Professor MR Khan, e-learning and education award to the late Abdullah Al Muti-Sharfuddin, e-games award to Mustafa Monwar, e-entertainment award to the late Abdul Alim, e-culture and heritage to the late poet Shamsur Rahman, and e-science and technology award to the late Dr Muhammad Kudrat-e-Khuda.
The organisers dedicated the e-environment award to Prof Dwijen Sarma, e-business and commerce award to the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, e-enterprise and livelihood award to Angela Gomes, e-inclusion and participation award to Bangladesh Army.
The e-localisation award was dedicated to Ebika Biswas (the first mobile lady in Bangladesh), e-news award to the late professor Abdul Kader (founder of Computer Jagat), and m-content award to Prof Iqbal Z Quadir (chairman of Iqbal Quadir Foundation).
Finance Minister AMA Muhith attended the ceremony as the chief guest, while State Minister for Science and ICT Architect Yeafesh Osman was the special guest.
The Daily Star and Prothom Alo were the organising partners of the event. Manusher Jonno Foundation was among the sponsors.
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