Cabinet okays \\\'ICT Policy 2015\\\'

The Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of the 'National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy 2015' seeking the ICT sector’s faster development and promotion to help the country achieve the middle-income status by 2021 and turn it into a developed one by 2041. The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the cabinet room of Parliament with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the draft of the policy was placed before the Cabinet meeting in February last where the Cabinet cleared it with some observations. The ICT Division again submitted the Policy before the day's Cabinet meeting accommodating those observations. The Policy has been revised with the opinions of all stakeholders, ministries, experts and professionals. This Policy has 10 objectives, 54 strategic themes which will be implemented by different organisations under short-, medium- and long-term measures to be implemented by 2016, 2018 and 2021 respectively. Besides, there will be an Action Plan with 235 action programmes. Ministers and State Ministers attended the meeting. Secretaries concerned were also present, according to a news agency.