Joy sees $ 1bn IT exports

The Prime Minister’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy has set a target of $1 billion export earnings only from the information and communications technology (ICT) sector in five years from now. If this trend continues, he says, this sector will overtake the readymade garment (RMG) sector in export earnings. The RMG sector, worth $20 billion, is Bangladesh’s largest export revenue earner. The Awami League (AL) had stressed the importance of the ICT sector after it came to power five years ago. Joy, an ICT expert based in the US, had taken charge. He got involved in government programmes for this sector as the information and communications technology adviser to his mother, ruling party President Sheikh Hasina. Joy discussed the Hasina government’s ideas and plans for this sector in a meet, titled ‘Policy Cafe with Sajeeb Wazed Joy on ICT’ – held in the city to prepare an ICT guideline. Addressing the programme, Joy promised that fibre optic cables would reach every Union Parishad in the country by 2018 to provide Internet services. The AL has formed the government for the second consecutive term through the general election held on January 5 this year, according to bdnews24.com.