Hasina reiterates promise of Digital Bangladesh by 2021

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday vowed afresh to establish Digital Bangladesh by 2021 saying that the country has already achieved much progress to this end.

In this connection, the prime minister directed the officials concerned of the Information and Communication Technology Division to expedite works on launching the country's first satellite "Bagabandhu Satellite" into space. The government wants to install the country's own satellite in space within the stipulated time, she added.

She was speaking at a meeting with senior officials of the division at Agargaon in the capital.

She said the government services have been taken at the doorsteps of the common people through using ICTs. As a result, corruption has significantly come down while transparency and accountability has been ensured in public organisations, she added.

About the ongoing projects of setting up hi-tech parks in Jessore and Kaliakoir, the prime minister opined that such hi-tech parks could also be set up in all divisional headquarters and big towns of the country.

She said nearly 12.3 crore cell phone SIMs are being used by people which is rare in the world.

Over 5,000 digital centres have been set up across the country while over 8,500 post offices are being transformed into post e-centres to provide services electronically.

Sheikh Hasina said 3G internet service has been introduced in the country and the government has a plan to launch 4G internet services soon.

Steps have been taken to set up international terrestrial connection alongside submarine cable to make international telecommunications easier and uninterrupted, she said.

Hasina said the government has completed setting up of 1,450km of optical fibre cables while works on more 11,000km would be completed by June 30, 2016.

She urged all to work hard and serve the nation together to build a middle-income country by the year 2021 and a developed country by the year 2041 by implementing ongoing development programmes.

Earlier, the prime minister inaugurated IT computer labs at six educational institutions of Gopalganj talking to Principal of Gopalganj Ideal Commerce College through video conference.

State Minister for Information and Communication Technology Division Junaid Ahmed Polok delivered the welcome address while ICT Division Secretary Shyam Sundar Shikder briefed the meeting on overall activities of the division.