Govt to formulate policy, guidelines for IT sector

FE Team | Published: January 18, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

The government in association with the US-based consulting firm, Tholons, will formulate a policy strategy and guidelines for the country's information technology (IT) sector to help achieve US$1.0 billion IT export by 2022.
"The policy strategy and guidelines would create a conducive environment in the IT sector to attract blue chips foreign companies to invest in Bangladesh, said Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) Executive Director SM Ashraful Islam while addressing a workshop on "Uniting Visions: Industry Development" in the city on Saturday, reports BSS.
The Tholons came up with the idea to develop the policy strategy and guidelines for Bangladesh's IT and ITES sector in its presentation offered at the function jointly organised by Leveraging ICT for Growth, Employment and Governance (LICT) Project of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) and Tholons and Aon Hewitt.
Leading IT industry leaders, IT experts, bureaucrats and academics from home and abroad attended the function conducted by Mr Ashraful Islam.
President of Tholons Research Manuel Ravago, who presented a keynote paper at the workshop, said targeting $1.0 billion IT exports by 2022 is not ambitious and it is possible to achieve the target by addressing some issues including lack of physical infrastructure, industry-policy mismatch, branding, and lack of certification.
Various ecosystem factors make it difficult for IT and ITES providers to develop sustainable operations such as in infrastructure, lack of qualified talent, talent immobility, cost inflation, lack of financing opportunities, he added.
Bangladesh Association of Software Information and Services (BASIS) President Shameem Ahsan said the IT industry has long been waiting for a concrete and holistic plan to take the IT and ITES sector forward.
The BASIS will extend all out cooperation to the Tholons in formulating the policy strategy and guidelines which is needed to attract both local and foreign investment in the IT sector, he added.
Mr Shameem said LICT project and BASIS are providing world-class training and creating 57,000 IT professionals who would play a significant role in advancing the country's IT and ITES sector.
The function was addressed, among others, by Joint Secretary of Planning and Development of ICT Division Shyama Prasad Bepari, LICT Project Director Md Rezaul Karim, General Secretary of BASIS Russel T Ahmed, Noted IT expert Mostafa Jabbar, Teacher of IBA Department of Dhaka University Professor Farhad Anwar and Professor of Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of North South University M Rokonuzzaman.