BASIS wants IT firms to run in non-commercial areas

FE Report

The Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) on Wednesday urged the government to allow IT companies to continue their businesses in non-commercial areas.

The call came against the backdrop of recent shutdown of several IT company offices for operating in non-commercial areas of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK).

Addressing a press conference, BASIS president Syed Almas Kabir said the government should publish a circular immediately, allowing BASIS members to operate in non-commercial areas.

However, he noted RAJUK has moved to evict and shift business organisations from the residential areas such as Gulshan, Banani, Dhanmondi, Baridhara, Uttara and Mirpur to designated commercial areas, the trade group said in a statement.

He said the government has taken the initiative to establish 28 hi-tech and software technology parks across the country.

After completion of these parks, software and Information Technology enabled Services (IETS) companies will not have to use office spaces in non-commercial areas, he added.

He sought attention of the Prime Minister, housing and public works minister and RAJUK chairman to the issue.

Mr Kabir also said around 800 BASIS member organisations out of total 1,100 have been operating their businesses in different non-commercial or residential areas.

Citing the last fiscal's data, he said these organisations have employed around 100,000 people and invested around US$ 500 million in the country; the software and ITES sector fetches around $800 million a year.

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