China-funded digital connectivity project gets green light

The government will bring two lakh small institutions under digital connectivity to boost trade and economic activity in remote areas.

The cabinet committee on economic affairs on Wednesday approved the proposal, with China's Exim Bank providing 94 percent of the Tk 8,500 crore project.

The digital connectivity project was included in a memorandum of understanding signed in October during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Dhaka.

The connectivity will be provided to educational institutions, health centres, post offices and agriculture offices, according to the ICT ministry's proposal.

Bangladesh will set up 10,000 “points of presence” at business growth centres across the country to expand digital financial services and e-commerce.

Computer labs will be set up at 4,000 primary schools, 10,000 secondary and higher secondary educational institutions and 1,000 colleges.

Besides, various large-scale labs will be set up, including a regulatory lab at Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, a multi-media lab for media workers and cyber security labs in universities.

Computer training labs will be set up at the offices of the deputy commissioner and upazila nirbahi officer so that staff can be trained to use the digital services.

A digital money pay point and a payment gateway platform will be set up as part of the government's effort to provide financial services. It will enable people to make financial transactions easily, said an ICT ministry official.

Standardisation and setting up of biometric devices for registration of students at educational institutions, Wi-Fi zones for the youth, digital libraries, digitisation of the Jatiya Sangsad, digitisation of health services and collection of health-related information of all citizens, have also been included in the project.