Alleviating poverty with information technology

Bill Gates recommended three elements to build a poverty-free world by 2035, which are:  digital revolution, vaccine and innovation of improved seeds. Of these, digital revolution will develop IT-based economies around the world and will play the lead role in materializing a poverty-free world. IT-based economy started its journey under the name and style of Digital Revolution in the concluding part of the last century, which is better known as web-based or internet-based economy. This precisely means, the more developed the information technology of a country is, the more developed is its economy.
Alternatively, economic development of a country is directly proportional to the development of its IT sector. With development of the sector, employment opportunities are created. If we look at the countries moving ahead with progressive information technologies, we shall find out that those countries are making it possible through successful use of IT and innovative technologies.  
Bangladesh was supposed to be connected with information highway in 1992. But it wasted the opportunity to be connected with international submarine cable line free of cost. Duty on import of computers was withdrawn in late 1996 and technology was made cheaper for common man.  
IT-based economy of a country is measured by hardware and software exports. According to Bangladesh Association of software and information services (BASIS), Bangladesh earned US $100 millions from software exports in 2012-13 fiscal. The hardware and software sectors of the country have created plenty of employment opportunities. A market of US$300 millions has opened through IT services which have provided about 100 thousand employment opportunities. BASIS is working with a target earning of US$1.0 billion from this sector in next five years.  Overall, achievement of the country is encouraging and it has already won a number of international awards in this field.
Bangladesh still has a long way to go to make IT-based economic development. The Kaliakoir Hightec Park, which had some legal complications has recently been cleared by the court. It should be built soon. Construction of Jessore software park has to be completed and internet speed has to be made faster. Development of internet-based economy is not possible without export of hardware and software and faster internet speed.
There is another aspect that deserves attention. This is regarding entry into US$422 billion staffing market, only 10.0 per cent of which is now online. Jobs worth billions of dollars will come online in near future. Online-based works, including mobile applications and outsourcing, will have to be strengthened and the educated youths of the country can do it. The government can also utilize our population advantage to grab the market.
According to UNFPA report, Bangladesh has a population of 45.7 millions who are between 10 to 24 years of age and if youths of 25 years and above are included, the total number of youths constitutes almost two-thirds of our total population. Now is the right time to utilise this advantage by imparting IT training to this statistically important segment of the people.
Bill Gates has gone past the dream merchants of Harold Robbins. The way the IT world is progressing, his vision of a poverty-free world by 2035 through information technologies will strike success in all likelihood.
In a world under recession, unemployment assumes great proportions. With population increase added everyday, employment requirement rises further and the IT sector can provide great relief by creating jobs to take care of the growing number of mouths to feed.
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