Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan yesterday said a joint taskforce on information and communication technology will be formed to promote the ICT sector.

The minister said the joint taskforce will comprise the Foreign Ministry, Post and Telecommunications Ministry, Science and ICT Ministry and the Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), an association of computer vendors.

The minister also said the foreign ministry will circulate directives to the country's 60 overseas diplomatic missions to take initiatives to capture the ICT market.

The foreign minister was speaking as chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the 12th BCS Computer Show 2003 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city.

Post and Telecommunications Minister Aminul Haque and Science and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Secretary Karar Mahmudul Hassan were present as special guests on the occasion.

BCS President Sabur Khan and Convenor of the fair Md Ali Ashfak were also present.

The minister said emphasis should be given on training of the children and the young to make the sector more export potential.

Post and Telecommunications Minister said the government would soon declare the voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), known as Internet Phone or Internet Telephony, as legal.

Science and ICT Secretary Karar Mahmudul Hassan said the draft ICT act may be placed in the forthcoming winter session of the Jatiyo Sangsad. "Necessary process in this effect are going on," he informed the ceremony.

BCS President said two attempts--computerisation in the land ministry in 1995 and preparing voter ID card by using computer in 1994--had fallen in vain due to lack of adequate desire and transparency to perform those works.

The fair has been organised by the Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS) in co-operation with the Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Twenty-one seminars and discussion sessions will be held at the fair premises during the show time. Computer scientists and experts from around the world and government officials will take part in these seminars.

The seminars will shed light on key issues related to the sector and also bring all the stakeholders under a single roof.

116 computer firms from home and abroad are participating in this year's exhibition. The firms include software developer companies, hardware sales firms, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), information technology based magazines and other firms.

Some foreign companies from Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation (ASOCIO) and World Information Technology Services Alliance (WITSA) are also taking part in this exposition.

European Union (EU) has also taken a stall in the exhibition for the first time to promote Bangladeshi IT sector in the international arena.

'BCS ICT scholarship' for poor and meritorious students will be formed with some portion of the entrance fee.

A programming contest will also be held at the fair venue on Tuesday. Thirty teams are expected to participate in that contest.

The entrance fee has been fixed at Tk 20. But students of various schools and colleges can enter the fair free, provided they have prior permission from the authority.

The seven-day show remains open from 10 am to 8 pm everyday and will conclude on Saturday.