Bangladesh wants to boost IT business with Japan

Thirty six IT companies from Bangladesh are participating in the prestigious 'Japan IT Week' that began on Wednesday at the Tokyo Big Sight with a view to expand business relation between the IT sectors of the two countries.

IT companies from around the world are showcasing their latest IT products and services at the exhibition that will continue until May 10, reports UNB.

Ambassador of Bangladesh to Japan Rabab Fatima visited the stalls at the Bangladesh pavilion and exchanged views with the visiting Bangladeshi entrepreneurs. She assured them of the necessary support from the embassy.

Later a seminar on the prospects of Bangladesh's IT sector in Japan was held at the same venue.

Many business representatives of Japanese IT firms joined the seminar, according to Bangladesh Embassy in Japan.

Ambassador Rabab Fatima said the event was an outcome of the growing interest of Japan in Bangladesh as the next IT destination.

She pointed out that Bangladesh aims to achieve US$ 5.0 billion of export from the ICT sector; employing at least 2.0 million; with its contribution to the GDP to be at least 5 per cent.

Terming the IT sector as the mirror which reflects the overall development of Bangladesh, the Ambassador said that in line with the goal of 'Digital Bangladesh', the government of Bangladesh is encouraging investment in IT sector.

The government's supports ranges from developing IT-skilled human resources, infrastructure development, connectivity establishment, and so on, she added.

The Ambassador hoped that the event would open new horizons for connecting and establishing business between the two countries. She urged the Japanese IT entrepreneurs to invest more in Bangladesh.

Besides, Hosne Ara Begum, Managing Director of Bangladesh High-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA), former president of BASIS Mahbub Zaman and Yasuhiro Akashi of BJIT Inc were present.

The seminar was organised by the Embassy of Bangladesh in Japan in collaboration with ICT Division; BHTPA, Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) and Bangladesh Association of Software & Information Services (BASIS).

It was supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Japan-Bangladesh Committee for Commercial & Economic Co-operation (JBCCEC), Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA) Japan, Center of the International Co-operation for Computerization (CICC), Japan Information Technology Services Industry Association (JISA), Computer Software Association of Japan (CSAJ) and Bangladeshi IT Professionals in Japan (BITPJ).

Meanwhile, Bangladesh -Japan IT B2B Meeting 2019 was held on Tuesday in the Fujitsu Research Institute (FRI), Tokyo.

It was second such meeting between the IT companies of two countries after the inaugural meeting in 2015.

Twenty Bangladeshi and twenty-four Japanese companies had exclusive business meetings to discuss and exchange views among themselves on the business potentials of IT sector.