Digital connectivity to be key to Smart Bangladesh: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Thursday digital connectivity would be the key equipment to transform the country into a Smart Bangladesh, reports BSS.

"Digital connectivity will be the key tool to build Smart Bangladesh. Smart citizens, smart economy, smart government and smart society will be built on the basis of digital connectivity," she said.

The premier said this in a video message aired at the inaugural ceremony of the Digital Bangladesh Fair-2023 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka on Thursday.

The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications arranged the three-day fair aimed at showcasing the IT and ITES products and services in the country.

In her message, the prime minister also hoped that the digital goods would play a significant role in investments and exports.

"Digital Bangladesh is now a reality. Our next target is to build Smart Bangladesh and Smart Nation. There is no alternative to using ultramodern technology to achieve the target of building Smart Bangladesh," she said.

The prime minister said her government wants Bangladesh to become economically prosperous, ensuring maximum use of digital technology including official intelligence, internet of things, virtual reality, augmented reality, robotics and big-data.

In this connection, she went on saying, "Five-G services will be ensured at the industrial regions."

Mentioning that Bangladesh saw a revolution in digitisation, she said young generation is now dreaming of building Smart Bangladesh.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had set up the country's first Satellite Earth Station at Betbunia in Rangamati district on June 14 in 1975, through which, the information technology use here started, she said.

The premier said they had announced Vision-2021 in the electoral pledge of 2008 whose main aspect was to ensure socio-economic development of Bangladeshi people by establishing Digital Bangladesh.

She said her government had launched Bangabandhu Satellite-1 to the orbit in 2018 which has brought a revolutionary change in the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors.

The prime minister said her government had been able to resume the telecommunication system that was snapped in Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrokona districts during the cyclone Sitrang last year.

Besides, she said Bangladesh is earning huge foreign currency by using unused frequencies from satellites.