BTN plans to establish 40,000 telecentres across country
Wednesday, 15 August 2007
FE Report
The Bangladesh Telecentre Network (BTN), a proposed body of the NGOs providing e-service, plans to establish 40,000 telecentres across the country by 2011 to enhance the growth of rural economy.
"We expect that the utilisation of information technology, including e-services, will help develop the socio-economic life of the communities at the grassroots," chairman of the BTN Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury said at the inaugural session of a workshop Monday.
He said there are about 700 telecentres in the country, which are providing information on all issues, including business.
The office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Dhaka organised the two-day workshop on 'Community-based e-Center (CeC) and Development in Bangladesh' at the IDB Bhaban in the city.
The workshop was organised aiming to create a comprehensive framework for establishing an effective and sustainable model of CeC' that could provide e-services to grassroots communities.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the workshop, Larry Maramis, deputy country director of UNDP in Dhaka, said the country has achieved considerable growth in information and communication technology (ICT) over the years.
He said the establishment of telecentres across the country will help boost the rural economy as access to information will be easier for the rural people.
Maramis also said that the ICT is playing a big role in changing the livelihood of the rural people. The CeC project of the UNDP is trying to add a new dimension in this regard.
He expressed the hope that the information disseminated through telecentres and by other means would help strengthen the collective social initiatives of the people.
KAM Morshed, programme Manager for e-Governance and Development Cluster of UNDP, Bangladesh, Asaduzzaman, research director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), Mohammed Zainul Abedin, country director of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Tawfiq Elahi Chowdhury, senior policy adviser of the UNDP, Naimuzzaman Mukta, coordinator of CeC team, and Ananya Raihan, executive director of DNet, also spoke in the workshop.
Shahiduddin Akbar of Katalyst and Mahud Hasan of DNet made presentations on issues relating to Telecentre and on mobilisation and people's ownership.
About 50 participants from 27 non-governmental organisations are taking part in the two-day workshop that began Monday.
The Bangladesh Telecentre Network (BTN), a proposed body of the NGOs providing e-service, plans to establish 40,000 telecentres across the country by 2011 to enhance the growth of rural economy.
"We expect that the utilisation of information technology, including e-services, will help develop the socio-economic life of the communities at the grassroots," chairman of the BTN Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury said at the inaugural session of a workshop Monday.
He said there are about 700 telecentres in the country, which are providing information on all issues, including business.
The office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Dhaka organised the two-day workshop on 'Community-based e-Center (CeC) and Development in Bangladesh' at the IDB Bhaban in the city.
The workshop was organised aiming to create a comprehensive framework for establishing an effective and sustainable model of CeC' that could provide e-services to grassroots communities.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the workshop, Larry Maramis, deputy country director of UNDP in Dhaka, said the country has achieved considerable growth in information and communication technology (ICT) over the years.
He said the establishment of telecentres across the country will help boost the rural economy as access to information will be easier for the rural people.
Maramis also said that the ICT is playing a big role in changing the livelihood of the rural people. The CeC project of the UNDP is trying to add a new dimension in this regard.
He expressed the hope that the information disseminated through telecentres and by other means would help strengthen the collective social initiatives of the people.
KAM Morshed, programme Manager for e-Governance and Development Cluster of UNDP, Bangladesh, Asaduzzaman, research director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), Mohammed Zainul Abedin, country director of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Tawfiq Elahi Chowdhury, senior policy adviser of the UNDP, Naimuzzaman Mukta, coordinator of CeC team, and Ananya Raihan, executive director of DNet, also spoke in the workshop.
Shahiduddin Akbar of Katalyst and Mahud Hasan of DNet made presentations on issues relating to Telecentre and on mobilisation and people's ownership.
About 50 participants from 27 non-governmental organisations are taking part in the two-day workshop that began Monday.