PM opens ‘Sheikh Hasina Software Park’

‘Sheikh Hasina Software Technology Park’ in Jessore started its journey today as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the newly-built park opening a new horizon of potentiality in the country's ICT sector, reports BSS.

The premier opened the Software Technology Park through a videoconferencing from her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka.

State Minister for ICT Division Junaid Ahmed Palak delivered the welcome address, while Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Post and Telecommunications Imran Ahmed was present on the occasion.

ICT Division Secretary Subir Kishore Chowdhury gave an overview on the park through a power point presentation, while PM's Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury moderated the function at Ganabhaban.

The ICT division state minister said the park was established in the form of the United State's Silicon Valley.

The ICT Division sources said a 15-storied multi-tenant building with all necessary modern facilities, a 12-storied dormitory with 3-star standard accommodation and gymnasium facility, a canteen and amphitheater, a 33 KVA power station have been built at the park.

"We have already allocated space at the park to 40 local and foreign companies. Around 5,000 people will get direct employment opportunity at the park. A new horizon of possibility will be opened up in the ICT sector through the inauguration of this park," Palak told BSS earlier.

In the main building of this park, allotments have been given against some 55 companies including two companies from Japan, said Jahangir Alam, the project director of the Software Technology Park uplift scheme.

Apart from this, he said, an entire floor has been allotted against the youths free of cost to launch "startup companies". Jahangir Alam, also a joint secretary of the government, said that the Software Technology Park has been set up in Jessore targeting 10 districts under Khulna Division where IT industry entrepreneurs from both home and abroad would get chance to make investments.

This park will facilitate operations of software development, freelancing/outsourcing, call center, research and development, he said.

Survey Engineer of the project Abdullah Al Mamun informed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced earlier to build a world-class IT Park in Jessore while inaugurating Jessore Science and Technology University on December 27, 2010.

Following that announcement, the construction of the IT Park began on February 2013 at Bejpara in Shankarpur area of the town with an expenditure of Taka 305 crore.

The park will have a total of around 2.32 lakh square feet space with all the modern facilities including a 15-storey MTB building, 12-storey three-star standard dormitory building, state-of-the art convention center and underground parking.

Each of the floors will have some 14,000 square feet space.

As per the requirements of the Japanese entrepreneurs, the entire 11th floor of the dormitory building has been transformed into a world-class gym.

All the buildings have been built with earth-quake resistant composite (steel and concrete) structure, the sources said.

Besides, the IT Park would have a 33 KVA power sub-station, fiber optic internet line and other utility services.