Data network for varsities in 6 months

University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof AK Azad Chowdhury said on Sunday that majority of the public and some selected private universities would be connected with a high-speed data communication network within next six months.

Mr Chowdhury was addressing as chief guest the inaugural session of the two-day international event on 'BdREN Management, Operation, Applications and Services' at the Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University.

The UGC is organising the event in collaboration with the World Bank.

Member of the UGC Prof Dr Akhtar Hossain chaired the session while Principal Scientist of Internet-2 of USA Steve Wolff presented a keynote paper highlighting functions of BdREN (Bangladesh Research and Education Network) programme.

DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique and Principal Secretary of Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Abul Kalam Azad, DU Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Prof Dr Shahid Akhtar Hossain, among others, addressed the function.

Prof Chowdhury said some universities including Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka University and North South University were already connected with the network.   

He said BdREN set up countrywide virtual classrooms for delivering effective distant education. The UGC boss urged the teachers, students and researchers to utilise IT facilities properly to conduct scientific research and education.

DU VC Prof Siddique stressed the need for increasing IT literacy rate to introduce e-governance and e-education in Bangladesh. "We have to further develop the internet networking system to meet economic, social and environmental challenges of the country effectively," he added.

He further said, "Our country is progressing rapidly in the field of ICT" thanks to enthusiastic patronage of the present government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

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