ICT fair kicks off
A nine-day fair kicked off in the capital yesterday to showcase and sell world-class IT gadgets.
Yeafesh Osman, state minister for science and information and communication technology, inaugurated the exposition, 'Digital ICT Fair 2010,' at the Multiplan Computer City on Elephant Road.
Multiplan Centre Shop Owners Association organised the fair, where ICT products such as laptops, digital cameras, LCD monitors, TV cards, pen drives and memory cards will be available at discounted prices.
The fair, which will also feature seminars, debates, drawing and quiz competitions, voluntary blood donation campaign and cultural programmes, will remain open for the visitors from 10:00am to 8:00pm everyday.
Speaking as chief guest, Yeafesh Osman said the government is working to help the IT sector outperform the country's garments sector in bringing foreign exchange through outsourcing.
“But nothing can be achieved without cooperation with the private sector,” he said.
He said the government has adopted an ICT policy, which has outlined 306 action plans.
“The policy has spelt out responsibilities of each ministry in incorporating ICT under the government's Digital Bangladesh vision,” he said. “We are working on e-governance to reduce our dependency on paper.”
Zia Ahmed, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), said, “By declaring Vision 2021, the government has rightly informed us of opportunities in the ICT sector.”
Over 6.5 crore people currently use mobile phones in the country, while the number of people using internets has almost touched one-crore mark, said the BTRC chief, focusing on the sector's achievement.
“We've become a member of International Telecommunication Union, he said.
He also disclosed some of his organisation's plans to take the country's telecom sector to a new height. “We'll soon add another submarine cable. The price of internet bandwidth will also go down from the existing Tk 18,000 to Tk 12,000.”
“Operators will also be given access to landing stations. Besides, we also hope to launch satellite within the tenure of the government. We've also progressed much in allowing licence for 3G network,” Ahmed said.
Entry fee is Tk 10 but students of schools and colleges will enjoy free access to the fair.
Former Vice Chancellor of BRAC University Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury said Bangladeshis will benefit from some of the projects under the country's Digital Bangladesh Vision from 2011.
Aftab ul Islam, SME Foundation chairperson, and Mostafa Mohsin Montu, the Dhaka district commander during the Liberation War, also spoke on the occasion.
Tawfique Ehsan, president of Multiplan Centre Shop Owners Association, chaired the opening ceremony.
With 450 showrooms, the centre is one of the largest markets for ICT products in the country.
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