Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a video message aired at the inaugural ceremony of the Digital Bangladesh Fair-2023 said digital connectivity would be the key equipment to transform the country into a smart Bangladesh. The premier rightly mentioned that there is no alternative to using ultra-modern technology to achieve the target of building Smart Bangladesh.
It needs no emphasizing that unrelenting efforts of the government over the last 7-8 years have successfully reinvigorated the country’s ICT sector. Different initiatives have been implemented by the government’s ICT wing to take the country’s ICT sector to the level of the first world countries. Noticeably the emphasis gained momentum through the Digital Bangladesh initiative. The notion of Digital Bangladesh implies the broad use of computers, and embodies the modern philosophy of effective use of technology in terms of implementing Government’s commitment for development in education, health, and poverty reduction. While there are many long-term challenges in upgrading the digital performance of Bangladesh, especially in the areas of spending on research and development and increasing the availability of skilled professionals in science and technology, Bangladesh has made tremendous strides in the area of ICT.
Effective utilization of ICT is not only the key step for
successful implementation of Smart Bangladesh
vision but also an important precondition for
achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
In order to fuel our journey towards being a middle-income nation, it is important for us to integrate efforts in information and communications technology. Over the last four years, we have witnessed the burgeoning of the ICT sector in the country. From the adoption of computers in government offices for record-keeping to the increased use of credit and debit cards throughout shops and merchants, the use of ICT is everywhere. We have introduced newer and efficient ways for our foreign workers to send remittance back to their homeland. There is no doubt that these initiatives are impressive but compared to most industrialised nations of the world we are still in the early stages, and there is still a lot to be done to materialize the dream of a Smart Bangladesh.
However, it is good to note the government is running on the right track mapping out a number of ongoing projects which will further bolster our ICT sector. Reportedly, the government is working to integrate efficient technologies to commercialise new products, protect intellectual property rights, support young innovators, and create a platform to identify, nurture, and develop new ICT concepts. Hence, it can be said that the dream of digital Bangladesh has become a reality.
Effective utilization of ICT is not only the key step for successful implementation of Smart Bangladesh vision but also an important
precondition for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
