Bangladesh to emerge as ICT tiger in next 10 years: Muhith

Finance Minister AMA Muhith said Bangladesh will emerge as ICT tiger in the next ten years as the country has already made a tremendous headway in ICT because of the government's realistic policies and plans.

“The pledge to building a Digital Bangladesh was included in the election manifesto by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina nine years ago and now we can say Bangladesh has entered ICT age and in the next ten years county will emerge as ICT tiger,” he told the closing session of a seminar on 'Impact Bangladesh Forum' in Dhaka on Sunday.

While highlighting the benefits of the introduction of online payment systems, the finance minister said it has helped reduce 75 percent cost. The ICT is also playing important role in health sector, he added.

State minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) president Abul Kasem Khan also spoke at the session.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and DCCI jointly organized the daylong event.

Zunaid Ahmed Palak said immediately after coming to power the present government took realistic steps to build digital Bangladesh. As a result, the number of internet users increased to eight crore from 10 lakh eight years ago.

The government, he said, has a plan to expand internet connection up to all unions by 2018 and develop 20 lakhs skilled manpower in the ICT sector by 2021. The government has also a plan to develop 10,000 products in the ICT sector by 2021, he added.

Palak urged the entrepreneurs to invest in the ICT sector.