ICT expansion to help rural, urban economy, say speakers

RAJSHAHI, May 16 (BSS):  More expansion of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to both rural and urban areas is needed for bolstering overall economy substantially, speakers at a ceremony here said.
They viewed time has come to make the modern technologies familiar with the people so that they can derive total benefits of those effectively and successfully.
They made this observation while inaugurating the 'Northwestern IT Village Limited', a private venture, at a ceremony held at University of Information, Technology and Science (UITS) here Friday afternoon.
Fazley Hossain Badsha, MP, attended and addressed the session as the chief guest while UITS chairman Prof Chowdhury Jakaria, managing director Advocate Arman Ali and general manager Mahbub Rahman spoke as special guests. Lawmaker Mr Badsha said the present government is working intensively for expansion of the sector towards both rural and urban areas with a commitment of building digital Bangladesh by 2021.
Bangladesh has been placed in the third position in outsourcing through the use of IT. The government has taken a plan to set up one IT village in every district of the country, he added. "We have no way but to bringing the people under the e-commerce network to make the activities of the public offices dynamic, transparent and accountable," he added.
He said various obstacles relating to the public service deliveries and normal livelihood could be removed through substantial promotion of ICT system.
 Mr Badsha emphasised the need for adopting the digital method for freeing the general people particularly the rural ones from various hustles, harassment and manipulation in terms of transaction, public tender, tax and other revenue payment, application submission to the educational institutions and document management in public offices.