ECS IT fair ends today

Schoolgirls share a laugh while playing a PC game at the fair.

ECS City IT Fair 2008, a yearly showcase of computing products, organised by the Multiplan Center Owners Assoicion is going on in full swing at the Multiplan Center in the capital. Inaugurated on October 30, with the slogan "Let computers be the tool for knowledge expansion," the fair comes to an end today.
Brac University Vice Chancellor Dr Jamilur Reza Chowdhury inaugurated the fair, while Mostofa Mohsin Montu, former member of the parliament and chief adviser to the Elephant Road Traders Owners Association spoke at the opening ceremony as guests.
Dr Chowdhury in his inaugural speech said the whole world has become a "global village" due to unprecedented success of information and communication technology. Now we live in information era, he added. He also said if we keep ourselves behind, we will be left behind from the world. We have to go forward by overcoming digital divide, he suggested.
He said in the competitive world of the twenty-first century, Bangladesh has to survive with quality and overall improvement of ICT, and there is no other way round.
Organiser Tofik Ehsan said they do not want to limit their duties only by organising fairs. They will also take initiative to help talented students who can't afford technological training and education.
Front line ICT product importers and traders of the country are exhibiting latest products of renowned world class brands at the fair.
Organisers have allocated more than 400 stalls at the fair for the exhibition. Shop owners are also offering various discounts and special gifts.
The fair has wide range of products from latest digital cameras to laptops, from mp3 players to mobile phone sets, from books/magazines to audio CDs, VCDs, from memory cards to LCD monitors.
To attract visitors and buyers the organizers arranged children painting contest, debate, gaming zone, free internet browsing facility in internet zone and seminars at the fair. There are also gifts for children as additional attractions.
To vote for Cox's Bazar and Sundarbans as natural wonders of the world, a special move has been taken at the fair. Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation has set up special booths for this.
The success of the fair is proven by the daily number of visitors thronging the Multiplan Centre. Youths are the major part of them. Organisers have arranged quiz competition for the visitors which became really popularity. Some even said they only came to fair only for the quiz, as there are 100 prizes for winners.
The fair also organized a seminar on "Call centre and job opportunity in Bangladesh". Dr M Haider, chairman, Department of Computer Scince, Dhaka University was chief guest of this seminar. Former ambassador, M Kamal Uddin Ahmed, M Mustafizur Rahman, CEO, Adapmax were present at the event. The seminar was chaired by Towfik Ehsan, organizer of the fair.
Participants at the seminar said the call centre industry has huge potential in Bangladesh. There will be more than one hundred licensed call centers in the country by next year.
They also said US alone will provide 60-70 percent work and job opportunities will be created at the call centers for qualified people. Students can utilize this the opportunity to have part time jobs.
Dr Haider in his speech said call centres in Bangladesh has potential due to cheap labour cost. Even in neighbouring India labour costs are much higher. Therefore, we have to use this opportunity for our benefit.
The ECS City ICT Fair 2008 will end at 8:00om tonight.